Recipe by Sabrina Ghayour
I first came up with this recipe for the launch of my second cookbook, Sirocco. I wanted something delicious and substantial for those who didn’t eat meat as well as those who did. This recipe went on to become a favourite at pop-up feasts in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. If butternut squash isn’t your thing, it also works beautifully with other types of squash when in season.
Ingredients
1kg butternut squash (unpeeled), halved and deseeded
olive oil
2 teaspoons chilli flakes
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 fat garlic clove, crushed
200g feta cheese, crumbled
1 small packet (about 30g) of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 x 320g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry sheet
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground
black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 210ºC (190ºC fan), Gas Mark 6½.
Place the squash halves, with their cut sides facing up, in a baking tray and drizzle over a little olive oil. Roast for about 50 minutes, or until the flesh is cooked through and soft. (Don’t switch off the oven.)
When cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the butternut squash flesh out of the skins and into a mixing bowl. Add the chilli, cinnamon and garlic, season with a generous amount of salt and pepper, then mash it all together. Now gently fold in the feta and parsley. Set aside.
Increase the oven temperature to 220ºC (200ºC fan), Gas Mark 7. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Cut the pastry into 8 squares. Divide the filling into 8 portions. Shape one portion of filling into a sausage shape and place it diagonally across one of the pastry squares.
Fold the pastry corners over the filling, pinching together – the filling will remain exposed at each end.
Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.
Transfer the parcels to the prepared tray, brush with the beaten egg, scatter over the nigella seeds and bake for about 25 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
Serve hot or at room temperature according to your preference.
A recipe from Bazaar by Sabrina Ghayour (Mitchell Beazley).
Feature Image: Kris Kirkam
