Roast squash, red onion and olives with agrodolce

I created this dish in memory of a very delicious meal I had in Lisbon just over a year ago. Charred octopus was used in place of of more accessible burrata used here, as I imagined eating octopus wouldn’t be quite the same back home as down the narrow and winding streets of the Alfama district in Lisbon. As special as the octopus was, the marriage of sweet and sour flavours, otherwise known in Italy as Agrodolce, is what stuck out in my mind and prompted me to recreate this at home. Burrata or any other mild, creamy cheese works well here to neutralise the sour and sweetness.

| Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a starter |

INGREDIENTS

1 medium squash, Crown Prince or Butternut work well

1 small red onion, finely sliced

Red wine vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp runny honey

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp red chilli flakes

A handful of black olives

A ball of burrata or any other fresh cheese you have

Handful parsley, roughly chopped

METHOD

Slice the squash into inch thick slices and remove the interior flesh, coat generously in olive oil. Spread out on a baking tray, leaving plenty of room between slices - use two trays if needed. Season with salt and roast for 30-40 mins or until caramelised at the edges and a knife slides through the flesh easily.

Meanwhile, add the onion to a small bowl and add the red wine vinegar until barely covered with a pinch of salt. Leave to macerate for 15-30 mins (leave it longer if you want to take more rawness from the onion).

To make the dressing, in another bowl whisk/stir together 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, honey, chilli flakes and garlic and a pinch of salt.

Let the sweet potato cool slightly, then stir in the olives and dressing. Add a couple of tablespoons of onion vinegar and taste. Use your palette to guide whether it needs more to balance out the sweetness.

Top the finished dish with the burrata and parsley.