Butternut squash is rock-hard, and a pain to deal with unless you give it the celeriac-because-you’re-worth-it treatment (completely no-work creamy celeriac method – go here to find out how). Basically, you just put halved squash in the oven and leave it until it’s soft. It’s no work, but obviously, you have to allow time for this.

If you are cooking just for two, you can save the other half and roast with maple syrup and feta (follow this link for that method).

If you happen to have the odd truffle lurking in your fridge (of course you do), you could shave a little of that over.

This luxurious squash goes very well with venison with a chocolatey sauce and nutty Brussels sprouts.

Recipe for truffled butternut squash

Serves 2

Ingredients

• ½ a butternut squash (cook the other half with olive oil, pecans, a little maple syrup, and feta and have it for lunch)
• 1 tsp smoked salt, more pepper
• knob or two of butter
• 1 banana shallot, peeled and chopped
• 60ml/¼ cup double cream
• 1 tbsp truffle oil (the type that’s actually seen a truffle, NOT with truffle ‘flavour’)
• slivers of black garlic (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds, add a tbsp of truffle oil, a knob of butter, the smoked salt, more pepper and put it in the oven for about an hour until it becomes soft.
3. Melt another generous knob of butter in a saucepan and fry the banana shallot. Add the soft squash and the cream and mash with a fork.
4. Serve, garnished with the slivers of black garlic if you have them.