Roast Crown Prince Squash with Gochujang Brown Butter and Caramelised Leeks

Sweet, orange squash wedges and soft, blackened leeks in one tray, glazed with nutty brown butter and gochujang, on a cool spoon of yoghurt. Heat, sweetness and very little washing up.

Crown Prince squash, with leeks from Seddon and Sons, Holmeswood, Lancashire. Crown Prince has dense, dry, bright orange flesh, so it roasts sweet and nutty instead of watery. Leeks in the same tray melt down and catch at the edges. Gochujang brings warmth and a little funk, and brown butter rounds it all off.

Box swaps: No Crown Prince? Butternut or any dense winter squash works; smaller ones may be ready 5 minutes sooner. Swap the leeks for red onions cut into wedges, added at the same time.

Serves 4 · Prep 15 min · Cook 50 min

You'll need

• 1 Crown Prince squash, about 1.5kg
• 3 leeks, trimmed, cut into 4cm lengths, washed
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 60g butter
• 1½ tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 200g Greek yoghurt
• 1 lime
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• salt

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Halve the Crown Prince squash with a heavy knife, scoop out the seeds and cut it into wedges about 3cm thick. No need to peel it: the skin holds the wedges together while they roast, and the flesh comes away from it easily.
2. Toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a good pinch of salt on your largest roasting tray, in one layer. Roast for 20 minutes, until browning underneath.
3. Toss the leeks with the last tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt and tuck them in around the squash. Roast for 20 minutes more, turning everything once, until a knife slides easily into the squash and the leeks are soft with blackened edges.
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. Let it foam, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, swirling, until it smells nutty and turns golden brown. Take it off the heat and whisk in the gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and garlic cloves.
5. Spoon half the gochujang butter over the tray and roast for 5 to 8 minutes, until the glaze bubbles and darkens at the edges.
6. Stir a squeeze of the lime and a pinch of salt into the Greek yoghurt and spread it over a platter. Pile the squash and leeks on top, spoon over the rest of the gochujang butter and scatter with the sesame seeds and spring onions. Taste and add more lime if it needs it.

Serve with: steamed rice or warm flatbreads, to catch the butter.

Storage and prep

How do I store Crown Prince squash so it lasts?

Keep it whole somewhere cool, dry and airy, not in the fridge, and it will keep for weeks. Once cut, wrap the cut side and keep it in the fridge, using it within about 5 days.

Do you have to peel Crown Prince squash?

No. Roast it in wedges with the skin on. The tough blue-grey skin holds each wedge together, and the soft flesh scoops away from it once cooked. If a recipe needs peeled chunks, cut it into wedges first, then slice the skin off each one.

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