Use hot honey the right way …
Hot honey is everywhere at the moment, and while I love it, it can tip into being a bit too sweet. My version has plenty of vinegar, so it’s closer to a sweet pickle than a sticky glaze. You’ll end up with extra which is no bad thing as hot honey is great whisked into salad dressings, spooned over ricotta on toasted sourdough, drizzled onto pizza, or with roasted meats like steak, lamb or roast chicken. @kittycoles
Ingredients
Serves 4
For the hot honey
2 red chillies
1 tbsp olive oil
130g runny honey
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Pinch of salt
For the butternut squash
1 butternut squash
4-6 garlic cloves
4 shallots
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
To serve
2 balls mozzarella
Fresh herbs (mint, parsley, chives, or crispy sage), optional
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Finely slice the chillies, discarding the seeds if you prefer less heat. Warm the olive oil in a small pan, add the chillies and cook gently for 1-2 minutes until softened.
2. Pour in the honey, reduce the heat to low and let it bubble for a minute or two, removing from the heat if it boils too vigorously. Stir in the vinegar, bring briefly back to the boil, then turn off the heat. Season with a pinch of salt and set aside.
4. Halve the butternut squash and scoop out the seeds. Peel the garlic and shallots. Lightly crush the garlic cloves, tucking them into the hollow centres of the squash. Pour over enough olive oil to cover the garlic – this will gently confit it as the squash roasts.
5. Halve the shallots and add them to the tray. Drizzle everything with a little more olive oil, season well with salt and pepper, and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the shallots once soft and caramelised, then continue roasting the squash until tender all the way through and golden in places. Timings will depend on the size of your squash.
6. Mash the confit garlic into the hot honey. Cut the squash into large chunks and arrange on a platter with the roasted shallots. Tear the mozzarella over the plate, drizzle generously with hot honey and top off with chopped herbs.