#198 butternut squash with orange oil and caramelized honey

from otk: shelf love

for some reason having the new cookbook has made me also want to cook from shelf love more. this recipe was perfect because it calls for you to make orange infused olive oil, but i happened to have just purchased some from a shop in san diego, and butternut squash is a winter staple. the flavors in this came together beautifully. the squash was simply roasted with oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and then topped with burnt honey mixed with orange and apple cider vinegar, pecorino shreds, oregano and toasted pumpkin seeds. every element added something, pumpkin seeds - crunch, burnt honey with oranges - sweet and sour, pecorino - savoriness, oregano - herbal flavor, orange oil - more citrus flavor and richness. the best bites had a little of everything. this dish would be at home on an expensive tasting menu… one of the reasons i almost never go to restaurants like that is that ottolenghi teaches me to equally good dishes at home.