Delicata “Donuts” w/ Honey Drizzle

I normally avoid deep-frying because of the smell and mess, but I was flipping through the Six Seasons cookbook for winter inspiration and these sounded amazing. You make them similarly to how you’d make a Baja-style fish tacos, by dunking the squash in a cornstarch and soda water batter and lightly frying the par-roasted squash until golden.

It’s tough to find an appetizer where cheese is not the focus, and this one hits the spot. It would be a hassle to make at someone else’s house with the frying, but I do think you could fry at home and rewarm them quickly in a hot oven for 5 minutes to pep them up. In this case, the cheese, honey and toppings should be assembled on site after the 5 minute warm up.

Trust the process by not oiling and seasoning the squash before roasting. It will dehydrate the squash a bit, but it allows the batter to stick better. If you can’t help yourself, do the tiniest slick of oil.

Recipe adapted from Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons cookbook.