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Dirty butternut fries
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1 x 750g butternut squash
- 2tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 225g mozzarella
- 1 bunch spring onions, sliced
- 1 long red chilli, deseeded and sliced into rings
- 50g strong Cheddar, finely grated
- 100g shop-bought shredded ham hock
- 1tsp freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- 4tbsp good-quality mayonnaise
- 1tsp sriracha sauce
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C for fan/ Gas 5. Mix the mayonnaise with sriracha and 2tsp cold water to a consistency that will be easy to drizzle over the finished dish.
Cut the butternut in half crossways, then lengthways into quarters. Peel and scoop out the seeds, arrange the pieces on a foil-lined tray, spoon over a little of the rapeseed oil and season with some of the black pepper and a pinch of sea salt flakes. Roast for 25 minutes – no longer.
Cut the mozzarella in half and into 1cm strips. Cut the butternut into 1cm finger-shaped pieces.
Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and fry the butternut pieces until golden on the underside. Turn the pieces over and fry for a few more minutes. Fold in the garlic and fry for 1 minute more. Tip onto an oven tray.
Heat the grill to high. Fold in the ham hock and half the grated Cheddar and mozzarella. Add half the onions and chilli and fold again. Tip onto an ovenproof tray. Scatter with the remaining Cheddar, mozzarella, spring onions, most of the chilli and black pepper. Put under the hot grill for around 4 minutes, until the cheese has just melted.
Spoon over some sriracha mayonnaise in a zigzag pattern and take to the table to serve from the tray, with some extra chillies and, if you wish, a green salad.
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