Pressure Cooker Squash With Honey and Lemongrass Recipe (2024)

Recipe from Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young and Maxime Bilet

Adapted by Melissa Clark

Pressure Cooker Squash With Honey and Lemongrass Recipe (1)

Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(166)
Notes
Read community notes

This caramelized delicata squash purée, adapted from Nathan Myhrvold's multivolume “Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking,” is prepared in a pressure cooker. Normally, a pressure cooker wouldn’t get hot enough to caramelize anything. But, Mr. Myhrvold explained, if you create an alkaline environment with a sprinkle of baking soda, you can caramelize at a lower temperature. And the pressurized environment helps ingredients caramelize through and through, not just around the outside. This gives the squash an intense, nutty flavor, which is enhanced here with buckwheat honey and lemongrass. —Melissa Clark

Featured in: A Good Appetite: Sorcerer’s Apprentice Hosts a Dinner

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have

    10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers.

    Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Print Options

    Include recipe photo

Advertisem*nt

Ingredients

Yield:10 servings

  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter
  • pounds delicata squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ½-inch cubes (4 cups)
  • ½lemongrass stalk
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½teaspoon baking soda
  • Buckwheat honey or other honey

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

  1. Melt butter in a pressure cooker. Stir in squash, lemongrass, salt and baking soda. Cover tightly with pressure cooker lid and cook at a gauge pressure of 1 bar (15 p.s.i.) for 20 minutes. Begin the timing after the pressure has been reached.

  2. Step

    2

    Depressurize the cooker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

  3. Step

    3

    Remove lemongrass. Blend the squash to a smooth purée. Season with honey to taste. Serve, or refrigerate and then reheat gently before serving.

Tip

  • To double the recipe, cook the squash in two batches.

Ratings

4

out of 5

166

user ratings

Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Phil Kalina

The Instant Pot directions say its low pressure setting cooks at 5.8 - 7.2 PSI. Its high pressure is 10.2 - 11.6 PSI. The article at the link Aaron gave says, if using the higher pressure range, to increase cooking times by 7% to 15% for recipes which specify cooking at 15 PSI.

Aaron

Instant Pot maxes out around 15 PSI (see this article: http://instantpot.com/which-electric-pressure-cooker-operates-at-15psi/ )

But, don't be afraid! It's hard to ruin squash, especially with this much butter!

Donna

I always use some liquid--usually water--in the pressure cooker.
How much did you add? There's none listed in the ingredients.

susan

followed recipe. Burned on the bottom. Thought it might without water. Did I miss something??

Raven

Diet requires less butter, so I used half and added 1/4 water. The lemongrass I had on hand was in a spice mix with curry and ginger. Will repeat! 20 minutes on high for instant pot was fine. We licked the pot! Will definitely make again!

Darcy

I doubled the recipe and made it in one batch and it came out great. I mashed it with a fork rather than pureeing it. Delicious, and nice lemony flavor from the lemon grass (I used two stalks). Perfect Thanksgiving side.

Reuel

Meh, roasting in the oven with a little olive oil and seasoned as you wish is way better. If I wanted to eat baby food I could just buy a jar and be done with it

Rose

Maybe best recipe I’ve made from NYT! And I didn’t have any lemongrass

Sarah M

Delicious and so easy. I made this two nights in a row, the first night with delicata squash, as the recipe calls for, and the second night with cubes butternut squash from the grocery store. I added a couple of minutes to the cook time, as recommended by other reviewers. I didn’t bother melting the butter first.

VNS

for Instant pot: mix ingredients in recipe in heatproof bowl on the rack that comes with the Instant Pot. Add one cup water beneath rack and follow recipe pressure cooking instructions, using high pressure and quick release. The caramelization is subtle and lovely! I didn't need to use any honey, the squash was plenty sweet. Also, I didn't have lemon grass, but half-a-lemon's worth of lemon zest worked fine.

Vicki F

Very bitter aftertaste. A big disappointment.

Amy Jane

I enjoyed making and eating this recipe using my pressure cooker. The video showed lots of water along with the squash and after puréeing created more of a sauce for them to enjoy. I noticed the other comments with some people saying their squash burned. Mine did not burn, but there was no water left in the pot. Squash pieces were very caramelized. So my result was more of dry a “mashed potato” consistency, and of course I could have added water. It was really good, and easy. Thanks!

Michelle

Do you think this would work with sweet potatoes?

Charlie Byron

I used an Instant pot an liked the result. Next time I want to use a slightly longer cooking time, maybe 25 minutes. But it was great this time.

Cristina

I've just did the recipe, i stopped after 10 minutes since i smelled burnt from the pressure cooker. Yes, it was burnt in the bottom but the rest is delicious.

Savilac

I made this, but would add a little water, because it had a burnt butter flavor which I didnt like, I would add half a cup of water just for the purpose of avoiding the burnt butter flavor.

Raven

Diet requires less butter, so I used half and added 1/4 water. The lemongrass I had on hand was in a spice mix with curry and ginger. Will repeat! 20 minutes on high for instant pot was fine. We licked the pot! Will definitely make again!

Darcy

I doubled the recipe and made it in one batch and it came out great. I mashed it with a fork rather than pureeing it. Delicious, and nice lemony flavor from the lemon grass (I used two stalks). Perfect Thanksgiving side.

J

Lesson learned: drain the squash as much as you can before you puree it. My squash had pretty much liquified anyway, so I dumped the entire contents of the pot into the blender ... and ended up with butter soup. Seriously - it's like butter with a hint of squash and lemongrass.

erno

wierd, lemongrass too old? soggy

Patricia

So no extra liquid needed? Instant Pot says always include at least a half cup liquid.

Private notes are only visible to you.

Pressure Cooker Squash With Honey and Lemongrass Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can I eat the skin of a honeynut squash? ›

Like delicata squash, honeynut squash has thin, edible skin. There's no need to peel it! Slice each squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Next, make a quick dressing with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

What are small butternut squash called? ›

Honeynut squash is a relatively new hybrid version of butternut squash. It has the same shape as butternut squash, but it's much smaller, about the size of a medium potato.

What is the difference between honeynut squash and butternut squash? ›

Honeynut squash has a similar shape and flavor to butternut squash but averages about half the size and is sweeter. It has two to three times more beta-carotene than butternut squash. Honeynut squash can be roasted, sautéed, puréed, added to soups, stews, and braises, and has enough sugar content for desserts.

What squash can you not eat the skin? ›

But with thicker, gnarly-skinned squash, "obstacle" is the perfect word to describe the skin. We recommend peeling kuri, kabocha, or butternut. It's just going to be more pleasant to enjoy the soft, sweet squash sans-skin. Life is already tough.

What is the healthiest way to eat squash? ›

You can bake or roast it in your oven and top it off with either savory or sweet seasonings. Cinnamon can add sweetness to acorn squash while still being nutritious – or even dessert. You can even eat the skin for added fiber.

Is squash good or bad for you? ›

Squash is rich in minerals, including calcium. Calcium helps build and maintain healthy bones and teeth. The vitamins A and C in squash also help keep your bones healthy. In fact, a 2017 review of studies linked vitamin A deficiency to an increased risk of bone fractures.

Is it OK to eat raw squash? ›

As a certified executive chef, Tiner says the short answer is simple: Yes, you can. "You can eat raw squash, however, the taste may not be to everyone's liking," Tiner notes. "Squash contains a toxin known as Cucurbitacin E, which can give the squash a bitter taste.

What are three ways you can eat butternut squash? ›

7 ways to cook with butternut squash
  • Butternut squash soup. ...
  • Spicy squash and spinach soup. ...
  • Roasted butternut squash. ...
  • Butternut squash laksa. ...
  • Moroccan-spiced tomato sauce with roast vegetables and chickpeas. ...
  • Beef and butternut squash moussaka. ...
  • Chilled toffee apple creams.

How many butternut squash per person? ›

Assuming that each portion is about 4 ounces (4 oz of squash per person), you will need about 5 lbs of squash. If you want there to be leftovers or you think folks will eat more than 4 ounces each (maybe some of your guests have bigger appetites), you will want to cook more than just 5 lbs.

What is honey squash? ›

Honeynut squash is a cultivar of winter squash bred from butternut and buttercup squash. It has a similar shape and flavor to butternut squash, though it is only about half the size, and is significantly sweeter. Honeynut squash might grow to be 6 inches versus 8-12 inches for a Butternut squash.

What do Americans call butternut squash? ›

The vegetable squash that Americans are used to is a relative newcomer to Britain. It's usually called by its varietal name - butternut squash, acorn squash - and sometimes orange fleshed vegetables that would be called squash in the USA are lumped together as pumpkin.

What is a queen squash? ›

Different types of squash

Queen squash. This plump, orange squash has all the splendour of Cinderella's carriage, with the sweetness of a butternut. The skin can be a little tough, so remove it before cooking. Delicious simply roasted.

Can you eat squash skin raw? ›

There's no danger in consuming the skin—some just taste better than others," says Romano.

Do you need to remove skin from squash? ›

Some squash skin is edible, while other types of squash have tough skin that can be removed before cooking. Remove the skin of butternut, hubbard, buttercup, and turban squash. If you enjoy the taste, leave the skin on acorn, spaghetti, kabocha, and zucchini squash.

What are the health benefits of honeynut squash? ›

Honeynut squash, like its winter squash peers, is full of dietary fibre. Fiber helps with digestion, controlling blood sugar, and maintaining a healthy weight. One cup of this squash will give you about 5 grams of fibre. That's 20% of your daily fibre needs.

Can you eat squash skin and seeds? ›

Zucchini, yellow squash, and crookneck squash all have completely edible skin and seeds. Pattypan squash generally has edible skin, but the larger the squash the tougher the skin is. Take the time to roast a larger pattypan so the skin becomes softer, and you may want to remove the large seeds.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Arline Emard IV

Last Updated:

Views: 5592

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (72 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arline Emard IV

Birthday: 1996-07-10

Address: 8912 Hintz Shore, West Louie, AZ 69363-0747

Phone: +13454700762376

Job: Administration Technician

Hobby: Paintball, Horseback riding, Cycling, Running, Macrame, Playing musical instruments, Soapmaking

Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.