Can you Sous Vide Acorn Squash?

Acorn squash is a once in a season treat which, for many, represents fall to a ‘T.’ It also happens to be a prime candidate for the sous vide tradition.

Although typically baked, acorn squash responds tremendously well to the gentle application of continuous heat. This allows the squash to not only keep its vibrant color, but also allows the cook to control precisely how firm the acorn squash turns out.

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squash
• 2 Tbsp. real Canadian maple syrup
• Table salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp. butter for browning
• 1 sprig of rosemary, plucked
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon, if desired

Serves 4

Instructions

Give the acorn squash a quick scrub down with cold water and towel dry. Using a large chef’s knife cut the squash into quarters.

Next brown your butter in a pan. Your nose is your best friend here. Keep close to the pan and whisk constantly. Butter browns from the bottom up so a white top layer doesn’t necessarily mean that your butter hasn’t started to brown.

When browned combine the rosemary petals and cinnamon with the butter on high heat until fragrant. Remove the pan completely from the heat and strain the brown butter into a small bowl or cup.

While the browned butter is cooling heat your water bath to 194F.

Using a marinade brush or the back of a spoon spread the maple syrup mixture on each freshly cut section of the acorn squash. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, place the squash quarters in a large vacuum sealable bag with the marinade. Seal, pop into the water bath and wait for 50 minutes to 1 hr if you’ve quartered your squash.

Using a marinade brush or the back of a spoon spread the maple syrup mixture on each freshly cut section of the acorn squash. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, place the squash quarters in a large vacuum sealable bag with the marinade. Seal, pop into the water bath and wait for 50 minutes to 1 hr if you’ve quartered your squash.

I prefer my acorn squash to look a little rustic, hence using one quarter per person. Cubing the acorn squash is another fantastic option and will shave your cook time down to between 45 to 50 minutes. If you choose to cube your squash don’t forget to peel the skin during prep!

When the timer goes, regardless of what method you pursued, carefully remove the bag from your water bath and drain. Arrange the squash on a plate, perhaps with some microgreens or a favorite garnish, and serve.

Check out the rest of our “Can you Sous Vide Vegetables” series for even more as Thanksgiving approaches.