From the pages of:
Hawksworth the Cookbook
by David Hawksworth


Garlic Confit

INGREDIENTS

1 head garlic, unpeeled

65mL (1/4 cup) olive oil

Salt

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).

Slice 6mm (1/4 in) off the top of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Place the head of garlic in the centre of a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then seal the packet. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve whole or squeeze the flesh out of every clove to use in other recipes. Store in an airtight container, drizzled with olive oil, for up to 1 week.

Delicata Squash Salad

Delicata squash has a thin, edible skin and unusually sweet flesh. At Nightingale, we slice it, roast it skin-on, and give it an umami-rich roasted garlic dressing blended with raisins, anchovies, and capers. There’s crumbled feta for added tang and creaminess and toasted toasted sliced almonds for crunch. Then we finish it with pomegranate seeds to give it an acidic pop.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

Squash

1.5kg (31/3 lb) delicata squash (3-4 squashes)

50g (2 Tbsp) honey

15mL (1 Tbsp) olive oil

2 sprigs sage

3 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

Salt

Dressing

50g (1/3 cup) golden raisins

50mL (3 Tbsp) cider vinegar

15g (1 Tbsp) Garlic Confit (see left)

65mL (5 Tbsp) olive oil

50g (5 Tbsp) capers

10 anchovies

Salad

90g (1cup) sliced almonds

200g (2 cups) Macedonian feta

90g (2/3 cup) pomegranate seeds

Aleppo or espelette pepper

SQUASH

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Cut the squashes in half lengthwise and discard the seeds. Cut into 2cm (3/4 in) slices. Toss with honey, olive oil, sage thyme, bay leaves, and salt, then lay out in 1 layer opn a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Roast until tender and golden at the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and discard the herbs.

DRESSING

Soak the raisins in the cider vinegar for 30 minutes. Pulse the garlic confit, olive oil, capers and anchovies in a food processor until corsely chopped. Add the raisins and vinegar. Pulse again until coarse.

SALAD

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).

Lay the sliced almonds on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and toast until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Place the roasted squash on a serving platter or individual plates. Crumble the feta on top and generously drizzle with dressing. Garnish with the toasted almonds, pomegranate seeds, and a light sprinkle of Aleppo or espelette pepper.