Serves 6
Brush the cut sides of acorn squash with a garlicky hoisin mixture, then roast the halves and fill them with chicken.
| 3 | acorn squash, halved and seeded |
|---|---|
| 1½ | teaspoons olive oil |
| Salt and black pepper, to taste | |
| 2½ | pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat |
| 1¼ | cup hoisin sauce |
| ¼ | cup low-sodium or light soy sauce |
| ¼ | cup rice wine or sake |
| 6 | cloves garlic, finely chopped |
| 1 | piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, finely chopped |
| 1¼ | teaspoon chile-garlic sauce (such as sriracha) |
| 1 | teaspoon sesame oil |
| 1 | teaspoon sugar |
| 7 | scallions, finely chopped |
| 3 | tablespoons chopped scallion greens (for garnish) |
1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Have on hand a 9-inch square baking dish.
2. Cut a tiny slice from the rounded ends of the acorn halves so they sit without wobbling. Brush the cut sides of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Place the squash, cut sides down, on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes.
3. Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch squares and transfer to a bowl.
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4. In another bowl, mix the hoisin, soy sauce, rice wine or sake, garlic, ginger, chile sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and scallions. Remove two-thirds of the hoisin mixture and add to the chicken; reserve the rest for the squash topping. Stir the chicken and sauce. Transfer to the baking dish. Roast for 40 minutes.
5. Turn the squash, hollow sides up, and prick the surface of each half with a fork. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon of the reserved hoisin mixture into each cavity and use a brush to spread it liberally over the surface. Return the squash to the oven and continue cooking 40 minutes, or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Total squash cooking time is 60 minutes.
6. Spoon chicken into each squash half, adding juices from the pan. Sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve with brown rice.