Zapallo a la Parilla con Miso

Grilled Kabocha with Honey-Miso glaze

Kabocha squash is one of those vegetables that tastes as good as it looks. In this version, the honey-miso galze caramelizes on the grill, and all of its sweet and salty flavors penetrate the sweet kabocha flesh. It’s an impressive vegetable on its own, or you could serve it with something a little bitter to balance the sweetness, like sautéed kale. I’ve also chopped up leftovers to use in quinoa salads. Invite some vegetarians over and see if they don’t love you by the end of the night.

Roasting firmer winter squash varieties like kabocha in the oven can dry them out, so I steam the squash first, then transfer the juicy wedges to the grill for a quick blast of grilled flavor. If you don’t have a steamer, it’s easy to rig one up at home (see sidebar, page 190). For a crowd, you could simmer the squash in a pot of water instead, but you need to be careful and keep the heat pretty low or the squash can fall apart. Leaving the skin on each slice helps the squash stay in one piece on the grill. If you don’t have time to light the grill, sear the squash in a really hot pan with plenty of butter. I love the light, almost fluffy crunchiness of fried quinoa on top, but toasted sesame seeds are also very good.

1 Halve the squash lengthwise, then cut each section in half again. Scrape out the seeds, and cut the quarters into 4 wedges so you have 16 nice slices of squash a good ¾ inch or so thick.

2 Place the slices in a single layer in a steamer basket. If using a small basket, steam the squash in two batches. Steam the squash until it is tender but still holds together when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. If too tender, the squash will fall apart on the grill, but they won’t cook much more on the grill, either. The best way to know if they are ready is to taste one. Transfer the squash to a plate to cool completely. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate the squash for up to 2 days. Remove the squash from the fridge about an hour before grilling.

3 To grill the squash, prepare a regular or hibachi grill for direct, high-heat cooking. Brush one side of each piece of squash with the honey-miso glaze. Grill the squash, unglazed-side down, until charred in spots, a good minute or two. Flip the squash and brush the top sides generously with the glaze. Grill until nicely charred on the bottom, another minute or two. Flip the squash one more time, brush the top side with the glaze again, and grill for just a few seconds. Transfer the squash to a plate.

4 To serve, arrange the squash on a serving platter and drizzle a few spoonfuls of the remaining honey-miso glaze on top, then sprinkle with the crispy quinoa.

5 If not serving right away, arrange the cooked squash (do not add the quinoa) snugly in a single layer in a baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight. To rewarm, let the squash come to room temperature, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven until warm, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the crispy quinoa and serve.

Honey-Miso Glaze

Makes about ½ cup

The subtle flavor of saikyo miso (see page 265), a Korean variety of white miso, works really well with lighter dishes like the grilled kabocha squash, Paiche Lettuce Wraps (page 120), and quinoa salad dressing (page 198). The glaze takes all of five minutes to make, but for best flavor, you need to let the lime infuse overnight or, better still, for a few days before using it.

Cut the lime into 5 or 6 rings and discard both ends. If the honey has granulated, warm it for a few seconds in the microwave or on the stovetop. Combine the lime slices, honey, and miso in a small bowl and lightly mash together with the back of a spoon. Cover and refrigerate the glaze overnight, or up to 2 days for an even better flavor. Discard the lime slices and refrigerate the honey-miso glaze for up to 5 more days. Stir the glaze before using.

Mock Steamer

If you don’t have a steamer, you can easily rig one up with the pots and kitchen tools you already have.

To make a steamer: Put a metal colander with a stand in a large Dutch oven so the colander doesn’t sit directly on the bottom of the pot, or put the colander or strainer on top of a few metal ring molds or cookie cutters. Either way, make sure the bottom of the strainer is at least 2 inches from the bottom of the pot.

Fill the pot with an inch or two of water, just enough so the water doesn’t hit the bottom of the colander or strainer. Add whatever vegetables you’d like, arranging them in a single layer. Bring the water to a boil and cover the pot with the pot lid or snugly with foil if the lid won’t fit. Reduce the heat and keep the water at a simmer to steam the vegetables until they are tender. Check the water level periodically. If the water ever evaporates too much, pour in a little more.