Butternut Squash in Fermented Bean Broth
Ingredients
- 3 pounds butternut squash (about one large butternut)
- 2 T olive oil
- 5 dried red chiles (snipped into ½-inch pieces and seeds shaken out)
- 2 T fermented black beans (coarsely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup water
- 2 T maple syrup
- ½ t kosher salt
- toasted sesame oil
- Ground white pepper
- 4 scallions (thinly sliced, for garnish)
Instructions
- Chop the squash - Chop the squash into irregularly sized pieces - the larger pieces will remain intact as they cook, and the smaller pieces will begin to break down, which makes for a nice texture contrast.
- Sauté the chili, beans and garlic - Add the dried chiles to the pan and cook in the oil until they begin to darken in color. Add the fermented black beans and garlic and let them sizzle until fragrant.
- Add the squash - Add the squash pieces and stir gently to coat them in the infused oil, then pour in the water and bring to a boil. Stir in the maple syrup and salt, then cover, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until the squash has absorbed most of the liquid and is tender enough to pierce with a fork.
- Finish and Serve - Uncover and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Remove from the heat, stir in a glug of sesame oil and a dash of white pepper, scatter the sliced scallions on top, and serve.