Campfire Roasted Delicata Squash with Sausage Millet Stuffing
There is just something about cooking over an open fire. I always loved the documentary series and book of the same name by Michael Pollan called Cooked. In it, he speaks about how the thing that makes us truly human is fire, and that we are the only species to cook our food before eating it. The series takes this concept farther into the science behind how we evolved over time, which is absolutely fascinating. But it also touches upon the more emotional side of cooking over open fire, something that we have done as humans for hundreds of thousands of years. This something I never really experienced before this summer, and I can now see how cooking this way together truly builds a community. It takes a long time to prepare, but it is something that is really special as a way to spend time together as a family or a community.
On this particular evening, I had acquired some delicata squash from a local market garden cart and felt it was time to cook something delicious. This dish turned out a lot better than I expected. As I teach myself to cook over the fire, I am mostly up to my own knowledge as a cook to figure out the best methods for making my recipe ideas work. A lot of what I do outside is trial and error, so bear with me as I learn this method and share what I have made so far.
For this particular dish, I roasted the squash wrapped in tinfoil over hot coals. I tried my best to think of how the pioneers may have cooked something similar, or even farther back in history, as tinfoil was not invented until 1903 in France for manufactured foods, so it was not necessarily available to the public yet. I assume that they would have roasted the squash just plainly, touching the hot coals. While I could have gone all the way with this recipe to make it historically accurate, we are more or less trying to showcase inspired methods of cooking so that it still tastes good for the modern person!
ingredients & recipe:
4 delicata squash, halved and seeds scooped out
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pound Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium red potatoes, diced
2 cups chopped Swiss chard greens or arugula
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup millet
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
4 oz goat cheese
Fresh parsley, for garnish
directions for cooking over fire:
Build a hot fire, about 350-400° F. Prepare a 7 quart dutch oven and set this aside.
Brush the delicata squash halves with 2 tbsp of olive oil. In a small dish, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the inside of each half of the squash with the brown sugar mixture. Wrap each squash in aluminum foil until completely covered. When the fire has burned down to white coals, spread them out a bit and lay the foil wrapped squash in the coals, with the inside of the squash facing down. With a fire shovel, bring some of the hot coals over the top of the squash, too. Let them roast for about 30 minutes in the hot coals, checking occasionally to make sure they are not burning and that they have softened. They are finished when they are easily pierced with a fork.
Move the squash off to the fire side of the fire but off of the hot coals to keep them warm. Meanwhile, build the fire back up to about 350° F.
Hang the dutch oven over the the flames and heat the pot. Add the remaining olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the Italian sausage and brown on all sides. Crumble and continue to cook until it is no longer pink. Add the onion, garlic, and potatoes. Toss and cook until the onion is soft, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the greens and cook until just wilted. Season with the salt, pepper, parsley, sage, paprika, onion powder, and nutmeg. Stir in the millet and toss to incorporate. Pour in the broth until it covers everything, adding more if necessary.
Cover the dutch oven with the lid and bring the filling up to a boil. Cook like this until the millet is soft and the liquid has reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Check occasionally to prevent scorching.
Unwrap the squash halves and fill the inside with sausage filling. Top with crumbled goat cheese and fresh parsley. Serve hot.
directions for cooking over the stove:
Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Brush the delicata squash halves with 2 tbsp of olive oil. In a small dish, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the inside of each half of the squash with the brown sugar mixture. Place the squash on the baking sheets with the flesh facing down. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until the flesh is easily pierced with the fork.
While the squash is roasting, heat a 7 quart dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the Italian sausage and brown on all sides. Crumble and continue to cook until it is no longer pink. Add the onion, garlic, and potatoes. Toss and cook until the onion is soft, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the greens and cook until just wilted. Season with the salt, pepper, parsley, sage, paprika, onion powder, and nutmeg. Stir in the millet and toss to incorporate. Pour in the broth until it covers everything, adding more if necessary.
Cover the dutch oven with the lid and bring the filling up to a boil. Cook like this until the millet is soft and the liquid has reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Check occasionally to prevent scorching.
Remove the squash halves from the oven and fill the cavity with sausage filling. Top with crumbled goat cheese and fresh parsley. Serve hot.
My family really enjoyed this supper. We were not expecting it to be as delicious as it was, but the part that surprised us was how filling it was! The little hint of brown sugar and cinnamon on the squash paired beautifully with the spicy sausage, sage, and goat cheese. I loved using millet for the filling, though you could also use rice or quinoa, if you have those hand. All around, this dish is very flavorful and a bit earthy with some mild sweetness. It’s a keeper!
I hope that you enjoy it.
xoxo Kayla
