You can bake it intentionally at a hotter temp, darker and more caramelized, or achieve the same results by accident, messing around on Facebook...
Seriously, it takes a while, but once it starts getting dark you need to stay close...
It's good lighter and brighter too, baked longer at a lower temp...
At different times and from different places, some squash, even of the same types, will be tastier and sweeter... Sweet potatoes are a little more dependable... Even with the consistency issue this dish seems to fluctuate between very good and "GIMME THE RECIPE AND NO-ONE GETS HURT!"
It's just about all prep-work...
A great knife-bonding session... Sharpen 'em up... You'll probably need a hefty Chef knife, a Paring knife, and a vegetable peeler..
It'll look like a lot, but it cooks down---- and it reheats very well, so don't worry about it...
It's one of those things that gets better after a day or two, like 'sketti...
Preheat the oven to 375F...
I'll get a big bowl ready, peel, clean, trim, and cut in to 1-1/2" to 2" chunks, the following...
- 2 Sweet Potatoes...
- 2 White Sweet Potatoes (yes, they are that different)
- 1 Acorn Squash, or small Butternut Squash...
- 2 med. Turnips or one big ol' Turnip or Rutabaga...
- 1 large wedged section of a Calabaza Squash... (most supermarkets, ALL Latin markets)
- About 4 medium peeled Onions, cut in half pole to pole, then cut into V sections lengthwise as well...
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| Calabaza Squash |
About 1/2 cup of Craisins... (really never measured, sorry...)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Granulated Garlic & Paprika...
Salt and fresh ground black pepper...
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| Try to leave a bit of the core intact |
I have to control myself not to get too creative...
I toss everything except the onions in my biggest bowl, add the seasonings and olive oil, and fold it all together with a big spoon.. Everything should be covered with the seasoned olive oil but without a pool at the bottom...
Don't go crazy with the salt because the squash and potato chunks reduce in size, but this kinda thing can use a good amount...
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| Not the shallow baking sheets I concluded worked better |
For best results spread everything out on a shallow nonstick baking sheet or two so it's not much more than one layer thick... You want much of the moisture to cook off, which will sweeten and intensify the flavors, and you'll be waiting for color and caramelization... If it's 3" deep it'll just steam and bubble underneath, getting mooshy...
As soon as it's all spread out on the baking sheet I'll tuck the onion segments in ever couple of inches...
If they were added to the bowl and tossed, the segments might have separated and broken up...
The onions are such a gift in this dish, it's good to try keeping the segments together..
You can ruin the dish completely by adding too many Craisins... They're so good you may think more is better, but the magic of this recipe is the harmony between sweet and savory...
Too many Craisins make to too sweet...
As soon as I see some darkening I'll remove the pan from the oven and flip cleanly with a wide spatula until it's all flipped--- and then I put it back in...
The chunks will be softening, no need to beat them up...
Scoop and flip a few times, maybe 10 minutes apart, until everything has gotten some color...
Check seasoning, and it's done...
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| I just served the dish in the 12" cast iron pan, I didn't cook it in there... |
