Roasted Delicata with Bacon-Shallots, Pomegranate, and Yogurt Sauce

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Summary: Each time we go to our favorite Lebanese restaurant, my husband orders the fatteh blameh or seriously considers doing so. He loves the yogurt sauce that's spread over the stew as well as the pluck that sprinkled-on pomegranate arils provides. I don't eat lamb but do love a good yogurt sauce spread over pretty much anything. At the market recently, I saw a perfect delicata squash. I bought it and then felt obligated to use it. All in all, this dish came about based on those influences as well as a real love of pomegranate molasses and caramelized shallots.

*This recipe was chosen as a Community Pick on Food52. The photo included here is by F52's Mark Weinberg.

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ pounds Delicata squash, peeled
  • 3 strips bacon
  • 2 ounces shallot, slivered
  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling on squash
  • 1 dash cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons white wine
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • one 5.3 ounce container Greek yogurt
  • ¼ teaspoon well-stirred tahini
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon, divided, pomegranate molasses
  • 1 dash cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
  • 1-2 scallions, coarsely chopped

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare the squash by slicing it into rings and seeding, and then sprinkle each ring generously with salt. (You needn't peel the squash perfectly. It's edible and not super tough, but I prefer it peeled!)

In a 12-inch skillet with a lid, set over medium-high heat, fry your bacon until it's cooked. Remove and place on a paper-lined plate and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings. When the bacon is cool, crumble it and reserve.

Return the skillet with the drippings to medium heat, then add the slivered shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and dash of cinnamon. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the shallots have softened. Add the white wine, stir, and after a minute or so, add the chicken broth and squash rings. Grind fresh pepper over everything. Cover the skillet and put into oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make your yogurt sauce.

In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, tahini, salt, 2 teaspoons of pomegranate molasses, and the cinnamon. Set aside to let the flavors come together a bit.

When the squash has cooked for 20 minutes, carefully remove the skillet from the oven, remove the lid, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of pomegranate molasses. Return the skillet (without the lid) to the oven and cook another five minutes, or until your squash is easily pierced with a knife.

Using a slotted spoon or tongs, place the roasted squash rings on a serving platter and then spoon the bacony shallots and all of the pan juices over them. Taste the yogurt and add more of anything that you like. It should have a subtle tartness from the pomegranate molasses but be well-balanced from the tahini, cinnamon and salt. Spoon the yogurt into the middle of the platter, atop the rings, and then sprinkle the arils, chopped scallions and crumbled bacon over everything. Serve warm or at room temperature.