Fire-Roasted Kabocha Squash with Chanterelles

(From Forage. Gather. Feast.)

The autumn flavors of squash and chanterelles just seem right together. I like to make this while camping by cooking the whole squash directly in the hot coals of a campfire and serving the roasted squash topped with the sautéed chanterelles on a long rustic board. It disappears fast. If you don’t have the mushroom broth, just put a little butter or olive oil in the squash so it doesn’t dry out. But if you do cook it with the broth, it can be reused later to make the Campfire Porcini Risotto (page 108). You want the squash to be sitting flat in the embers and not rolling around and splashing out its broth. This can be served alongside something autumnal like pork tenderloin or enjoyed as a main dish.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

2 small to medium kabocha squashes

4 cups Mushroom “Bone” Broth (page 96), divided

1 pound chanterelles, washed and torn into long strips (about 3 cups)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 medium shallot, finely diced

3 cups kale, deribbed and cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of Urfa chili or red chili flakes

½ cup shaved Romano cheese

½ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Finishing salt

Cut the tops off the squashes and set aside. Remove the seeds and pierce the flesh inside all over with a fork.

Pour the mushroom broth inside each squash, put the top back on it, and set in the hot coals of a campfire. (Alternatively, cook in a 375-degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes.)

In a cast-iron skillet on the campfire, dry-cook the chanterelles to get the water out. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and sauté the shallot until soft and translucent.

Add the kale and the chanterelles to the shallots. Add a little more butter if need be. Sauté and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and Urfa chili.

When the chanterelles are caramelized and the kale soft, set aside in pan but keep warm.

Use a fork to test each squash to see if it’s done. It should easily pierce the flesh and skin. Remove from the embers and pour out the broth (or set aside to reuse). When they're cool enough to handle, put them on a platter and slice horizontally in half with a chef’s knife into four pieces for each squash. Smash down so that it lies flat on a cutting board or plate.

Top each squash with the chanterelle mixture.

Sprinkle with the cheese, walnuts, and finishing salt and serve immediately.