I had to use up a butternut squash and I came across this amazing recipe for butternut squash and fondue with pickled chiles by Yotam Ottolenghi on the internet. It wasn’t my plan or intention to change the recipe but I didn’t have puff pastry so I made my own pastry. I didn’t have white wine either so I guessed that the amount of rice wine vinegar might be a similar taste. Also didn’t have Fresno chiles (I pickled baby bell pepper slices in jalapeño brine) at home so I made something slightly different. This pie does come out delicious but it is rich with lots of cheese and a thin delicious crust. I think it is most suitable as either a slice for breakfast or an extra small slice as an appetizer. So serving size is difficult to judge. It makes as least 8 servings.

Ingredients for around 8 servings

1 cup flour – pastry

1 stick unsalted butter (8oz.) – pastry

1/4 teaspoon sea salt – pastry

1/4 teaspoon baking powder – pastry

1/4 cup cream cheese – pastry

optional 1 teaspoon sour cream – pastry (only use if dough is too dry)

non stick spray

1/2 cup jalapeno brine (preferable home made or substitute apple cider vinegar with big pinch of salt)

6 smaller peppers or chiles – sliced thin in rings

1 smaller butternut squash – peeled, seeds removed cut in 1/2 inch 1/2 moons

1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1 onion – peeled and cut into 5 slices

1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

6 garlic cloves ground to paste

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves + a few sprigs to finish

1 cup heavy cream

1 egg + 2 yolks – slightly beaten

1 Tablespoon corn starch

4 1/2 oz gruyere cheese – grated

4 oz raclette cheese – grated

optional 1 egg beaten for egg wash

optional 2 Tablespoons everything bagel seasoning

Instructions

Grease and line spring form pan with non stick spray . Set to side.

Make pastry. All dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder,) go in a large bowl. Use a medium size grater and grate the butter into the dry mix. Add the cream cheese and knead it a little bit. Usually this is enough. One time it was still too dry so I added a teaspoon of sour cream. Wrap the dough up with plastic wrap and either set to the side or chill in the refrigerator. The dough will get very hard in the refrigerator and will need a while to warm to room temperature when you need it.

Set Oven to 450 degrees F.

Make pickled peppers. Brine or vinegar (with pinch of salt) goes in a small bowl or container with pepper rings. Set to the side.

In a large bowl add the butternut squash, oil, Aleppo, black and white peppers, cinnamon and 1 Tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Combine and mix well. (don’t clean mixing bowl.The squash go on a parchment lined baking sheet in one layer.

In the same mixing bowl add another 1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Mix the oil up well with the remaining spices sticking to the bowl. Dip each onion slice on both sides into the oil ring to keep the slices together. The onion slices also go on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.

Put the baking sheets in the oven. Butternut squash baking sheet on middle rack and onion baking sheet on lower rack for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes carefully turn all the butternut squash over and all the onion slices over. They go back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Take them out of the oven and reduce the heat to 375 degrees F.

Next – In a large mixing bowl combine the garlic, vinegar, thyme leaves, heavy cream, 1 egg + 2 yolks, cornstarch, and cheeses and mix well. Put to side.

Roll out the dough as thin as you can. It goes into the spring form pan. You might need to mold the sides up a little bit. Add around three of the onion rings to the bottom and then add around three quarters of the butternut squash. Fill next with the cheesy liquid. Add remaining squash and onions last.

Put filled spring form pan on a lined baking sheet because it might leak some.

This stays in the oven 30 minutes. Then it comes out and it is very hot so be careful. You need to release rim of pan and remove it and side lining papers and place this back into the oven for 20 minutes. It is optional that you might want to brush the pastry with egg and pat bagel seasoning on it……Cut out a round of parchment paper to stop the top from browning more.

Let it sit out to cool some. Serve at room temperature or slightly heated.

ENJOY!

A Special THANKS to Yotam Otttolenghi for sharing his Forking Amazing recipe so I could make this!