Squash in the Hole

Squash in the Hole

Toad in the hole is arguably one of the most comforting comfort foods, unctuous sausages and a light crisp batter, but why should this be limited to sausages? Autumn squash has the perfect texture to complement a light, airy and crisp batter, soft but dense.

Black futsu has a more open texture than butternut or onion squash, with a lower water content than harlequin or carnival squash, making this an obvious choice for a quick hot roast. Its thin skin breaks down quickly meaning there is no need to peel it, which is a relief given its texture. 

Squash in the hole is the original ‘one pot wonder’, just a single roasting tray and hot oven, nothing else. A simple recipe with no complex preparations, precise knife skills or even time. It’s a real bung it in the oven and forget about it dinner.  

Serves 4/6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 black futsu squash
2 carrots
2 onions
2 sticks celery
A good pinch of chopped rosemary
Rapeseed oil
Sea salt flakes
Batter Ingredients:
3 eggs
160g plain flour
300g milk
1 tbs rapeseed oil
1 tsp ground turmeric or paprika
A pinch of salt
A few twists of fresh ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 190°C with a large roasting tray or Pyrex


1. Yorkshire pudding batter benefits from time to rest, allowing the gluten to bond and starch to break down giving a consistent stable rise. Begin by adding the egg to the flour with the seasonings and oil. Beat to a paste then slowly add the milk to form a batter with the consistency of double cream. Cover and leave to rest at room temperature until needed.
2. Now for the vegetables. Cut the squash in half from stalk to base, scoop out the seeds (roast these with a little oil and seasoning for a delicious snack) and cut into thick wedges. Scrub the carrots and cut in half diagonally along their length, cut the celery into large chunks and the onions in half removing the paper. 
3. Mix all of the vegetables in a bowl with a generous amount of oil, salt and rosemary, then roast in the preheated oven in the hot roasting tray or Pyrex. 
4. It will take around 15 minutes for them to begin to soften, then remove from the oven and pour over the batter. Give a little shake and return to the hot oven for 40 minutes. Leave the door shut, only looking through the glass oven door to check on its rise (think GBBO).
Serve with garlic kale for extra veggies and a roasted tomato sauce. Alternatively, a thick gravy goes down really well with the meat eaters. 
Chef Notes:
1. Any squash and combinations of root vegetables are delicious with this recipe, get creative and vary it throughout the colder months. 
2. Ground spices in the batter bring a little extra flavour and are the perfect way to deliver flavour. Seasoning the vegetables with spices directly will burn them leaving a bitter flavour. Seasoning the batter allows the ground spices to bloom and retain their flavour, but be generous as the batter also soaks up flavour.
Robin Popham
Chef at ‘Create Terroir’ and Sandy Lane Farm veg box customer