GILL MELLER’S BAKED SQUASH WITH CREAMED LEEKS AND EGGS

A little onion squash, or a small Crown Prince squash, are just the right size for this, providing their own individual cooking pots for the soft, creamy leeks and baked eggs. The squash is roasted first until tender, then filled with leeks cooked gently with garlic, thyme, cider, cream and a little Cheddar. Make a nice well in the centre of the leeks before cracking the eggs in and popping the lids back on. It’s better to bake the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks are soft and jammy, rather than completely runny. We think the slightly set yolks work particularly well with the sweet squash and creamy leeks.

Preparation time 20 minutes | Cook time 1 hour-1hour 15 minutes | Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 small onion squash, about 700 to 800g each

2 tablespoons olive oil

25g butter

2 medium leeks, trimmed, washed and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

4 sprigs of thyme

75ml dry cider

100ml double cream

50g mature Cheddar, grated

A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped

2 Stonegate Estate Organic eggs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

Truffle oil (optional)

METHOD

  1. Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan.
  2. Use a sharp, heavy knife to cut a thin slice from the base of each squash, so they sit upright. Cut off the tops in one clean round, about 3cm below the stalk, and set them aside. Use a metal spoon to scoop out the seeds and fibrous matter, leaving a neat hollow.
  3. Place the squash and their tops in a roasting tray. Drizzle with the olive oil, inside and out, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 – 60 minutes, until the flesh is tender when pierced with a small knife. If the tops are ready before the squash, remove them and set aside.
  4. Meanwhile, make the creamed leeks. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. When it’s bubbling away, add the sliced garlic and sizzle it for a minute or so without letting it burn. Strip the leaves from the thyme and add them to the garlic, then scatter in the leeks. Season with salt and pepper and give them a good stir. Cook, stirring regularly, until the leeks are soft and silky. This may take up to 10 minutes.
  5. Add the cider and let it come up to a simmer and bubble away for a minute or two. Pour in the cream and simmer gently until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the Cheddar and all the chopped parsley and season with a little more salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Divide the creamed leeks between the roasted squash, making a little hollow in the centre of each. Crack an egg into each hollow, replace the squash lids and return them to the oven.
  7. Bake for 6 – 12 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are soft and jammy. The exact time will depend on the size of the eggs and how hot the squash is when it goes back into the oven, so lift the lids and check them towards the end of cooking.
  8. Serve the squash straight away, with their lids on, allowing everyone to lift the tops and discover the lovely creamy leeks and baked eggs inside. A few drops of truffle oil are rather nice here too, if you have some.
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