Butternut Squash Steaks with Hedgehog Mushrooms and Salsa Verde
Pan roasted or grilled butternut squash steaks with hedgehog mushrooms and herby salsa verde. This uses the cook-basting technique with butter, garlic and herbs many people use with regular steaks.
1tablespoonflavorless cooking oilplus more for cooking
3tablespoons unsalted butter
1large clove garlic optional
1sprig rosemary optional
Mushrooms
8ozFresh mushrooms
1Tablespoon Cooking oil
Serving
Wilted or steamed watercressspinach, or another green you like, for serving
Salsa Verde (see recipe)
Instructions
Squash
Cut the neck off the butternut squash where it connects to the round base. reserve the base for soup or another purpose. Using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler, peel the neck with a vegetable peeler to reveal the orange flesh.
Peel the top of the squash down until all the orange flesh is revealed, then cut into thick steaks, about an inch thick.
Put the squash steaks in a shallow dish or pan like a cookie sheet, drizzle with the oil, turning over to coat, then season with salt and pepper on each side.
To cook the steaks, preheat the oven to 325F, then heat a cast iron pan until nearly smoking.
Add the squash steaks, another drizzle of oil, and cook without disturbing them on medium-high heat until the bottom side is starting to develop color, about 3-4 minutes until deeply browned. Flip the cakes and transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 5 minutes. Browned sides and fork tender flesh are what you're going for.
Remove the pan from the oven and gently lift up the squash with a spatula to gauge the color. Add the butter, garlic and rosemary to the pan, using a large spoon to continually baste the squash steaks, turning occasionally until browned. be careful not to burn them.
Mushrooms
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes until wilted. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the oil and a pinch of salt and cook until lightly browned.
Serving
When the squash steaks are golden brown and delicious, serve them, browned-side up, dividing the mushrooms over each squash steak, with some wilted greens on the side. Pass the sauce at the table.
Notes
Using other squashes
Some other squashes like kobocha can be used here, but they will need to be cut into wedges and are more difficult to peel.