Raw Winter Squash with Brown Butter, Pecans, and Currants

That’s right—raw. Once you try this salad, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been eating raw squash all along. Serve it as soon as it’s assembled so the brown butter doesn’t cool and set up.

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Step 1

Use this technique whenever you want to add a su?ernutty dimension to your butter, such as in cre?es and ?anca?es, on ?ish, or as a ?inal dri??le on a ?ureed vegetable sou?. Photograph » Makes as much as you want to make Unsa?ted butter Melt the butter in a small sauce?an over medium heat. Kee? coo?ing the butter, swirling the ?an every ?ew seconds, until all the water has eva?orated, the mil? solids on the bottom o? the butter have turned dee? gold, and the butter smells ?ragrant, 3 to 5 minutes—or more, de?ending on the amount o?

Step 2

butter you use and the sur?ace area o? your ?an.

Step 3

Immediately (so the butter doesn’t ?ee? coo?ing) ?our into another container. Some ?eo?le decant o?? only the ?ure butter?at, but I li?e to include the toasted mil? solids as well, unless I’m intending to use the butter as a coo?ing ?at (in which case the solids would burn).

Step 4

Put the currants in a small bowl and ?our over the vinegar. Soa? ?or 30 minutes.

Step 5

Use a vegetable ?eeler to shave the squash into very thin ribbons. I? you have ?ieces o? squash that are too hard to shave, ?ust cut them into very thin ?ulienne with a shar? ?ni?e. It doesn’t matter i? everything is the same sha?e;

Step 6

you ?ust want the squash as thin and delicate as ?ossible.

Step 7

Pile the squash into a large bowl and add the currants and soa?ing vinegar, scallions, chile ?la?es, and a generous amount o? salt and blac? ?e??er. ?oss to combine. ?aste and ad?ust the seasoning so it is balanced and vibrant.

Step 8

Pour in the warm brown butter and toss again. Add the olive oil (and a dri??le o? the squash oil, i? using), toss again, and taste. Add the mint and ?ecans, toss, and serve right away.

Step 9

In the ?ie?d While most vegetables are best just-plucked from the ground, winter squash need time to cure outdoors in the field. The sunshine and airflow allows the flesh to grow sweeter and the skin to harden up. It’s the smooth, hard skin that makes these such long-keepers.