Agrodolce squash platter

An Italian classic, this sweet and sour platter of colourful and flavourful ingredients is something that will be particularly enjoyable in late winter/ early spring, as you start the mental move from comforting stews and bakes to salads and fresh assemblies. It’s a nice lunch on its own, with bread to mop the juices. Alternatively, fit it among a series of other sharing dishes, or omit the cheese and ham and serve the sweet-sour squash and bitter leaves alongside a roast chicken or slow-cooked lamb. Baking the squash whole has at least two benefits. One is that the result has the intensity of flavour that you get when roasting squash, without the oiliness. I feel this helps the squash to soak up rather than repel the agrodolce dressing and makes for a more texturally pleasing platter. The second is that there’s no need to worry about losing your fingers because your knife is too blunt to chop a raw squash. Which I know is a fear a few have.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F. Wash the squash, put it on a small baking sheet and into the oven. Let it bake, untouched, for 90 minutes until the skin is blistered and weeping, and the flesh beginning to sink.

Step 2

Meanwhile make the agrodolce dressing by gently frying the sliced onions, with a pinch of salt, in the light olive oil until they’re soft and sticky but not at all brown (adding the salt at the start will help speed things along). Over a low–medium heat this will take around 10 minutes.

Step 3

When the onions are looking sweet and slippery, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, then add the vinegar, three tablespoons of the water and the sugar. Bring this to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, by which time the dressing should look and feel glossy, almost syrupy. Remove from the heat, add the sultanas or raisins and leave to cool.

Step 4

When the squash is cooked, remove the baking sheet from the oven and roll the squash onto a serving platter. Add the remaining tablespoon of water into the hot baking sheet and stir into the caramelized squash juices to loosen them. Tip these into the dressing.

Step 5

Use the tip of a sharp knife to cut the squash in half lengthways. Scoop the seeds out (and discard) and slice each half into chunks. Push the chunks apart a little, season generously with salt and pepper, then spoon over the dressing – reserving a tablespoon of it to dress the radicchio. Leave to mingle, ideally for 3–4 hours, though you could tuck in sooner if you wish.

Step 6

When you’re ready to eat, measure a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a mixing bowl, along with the reserved agrodolce dressing and a good pinch of flaky salt and black pepper. Beat with a fork, then toss in the radicchio and the chopped mint, if using. Add the leaves to the squash platter, along with generous tearings of mozzarella. Drape the prosciutto over the top, or serve on the side.