Sous Vide Kabocha with Cardamom Ricotta and Pomegranate

Japanese kabocha is my favorite winter squash. With a brooding green exterior and intense orange flesh, it’s incredibly striking looking. The chestnut-like fluffy texture is unique, and it’s one of the sweetest hard squashes around. What’s even better? When it’s cooked sous vide with a precision cooker, the squash becomes remarkably custardy, too. If you’ve only enjoyed kabocha in vegetable tempura at a Japanese restaurant, you’re in for a treat with this dish that boasts festive colors perfect for the holidays. The cooked squash wedges are given a Persian flair with a dollop of cardamom-scented ricotta, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses and a shower of fresh pomegranate arils or seeds. It’s at once sweet and tangy, and all-together satisfying. Enjoy!

Author

Carolyn Jung

Carolyn Jung is a James Beard Award-winning Bay Area food journalist, whose work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Coastal Living, Via magazine, Food Arts, Edible Silicon Valley, Wine Spectator and other publications. She is the former staff food writer for the San Jose Mercury News. Her debut cookbook "San Francisco Chef's Table'' published in December 2013. She is also the creator of the acclaimed blog, FoodGal.com.

Prep Time: 00:20

Recipe Time: 01:30

Temperature : 185F / 85C

Ingredients

• 1 medium kabocha squash (about 4 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• Zest of 1 orange
• 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• Pomegranate molasses
• 1 pomegranate, seeds removed and reserved

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 185ºF (85ºC).
2. To make cutting up the kabocha easier, microwave the whole squash on high for 3 minutes.
3. Cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard. Cut squash into wedges about 1 ½-inches thick. The skin is edible, so leave it on. You may want to trim off any unsightly bumps.
4. Season squash wedges with salt and divide between 2 large zipper lock or vacuum seal bags. Seal the bags using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the dry setting.
5. Place the bags in the water bath and set the timer for 1 1/2 hours.
6. Meanwhile, make the ricotta topping: In a small bowl, mix together ricotta, orange juice, orange zest, cardamom and a pinch of salt.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bags from the water bath and transfer squash to a serving platter.
2. Dollop each wedge with some of the ricotta mixture. Drizzle pomegranate molasses over the ricotta and top with the pomegranate seeds. Season with salt and serve.