When your sister is a winemaker, people often ask about what winemakers drink. And the truth of the matter is that a lot of the time, winemakers drink beer. Especially during times of heavy tasting, it’s important to keep their palette focused and fresh and aside from the fatigue of constant tasting, too much wine can become boring, believe it or not. And when you’re drinking beer, sometimes cooking with beer is a nice complement as well. This Maple Nutty Brown Ale Acorn Squash is a recipe my sister came up with for me. We made it together last fall while we were talking on the phone one night and both really loved it. Unfortunately for you, I never got around to posting it. It’s the perfect side for a Fall meal. Over the past year, I served it with a Pork Tenderloin and Roasted Brussels Sprouts once or twice, but sometimes Marc and I eat Maple Nutty Brown Ale Acorn Squash for dinner as an entrée in an of itself, perhaps topped with a few spicy pecans. Maple and Ale Acorn Squash is full of flavor and very beautiful so while it is easy enough for just a party of two on a weeknight, it’s also great for a special meal for guests, too.
- 2 sweet dumpling, delicata, or acorn squash cut in half and seeded
- 4 teaspoons butter
- 4 teaspoons maple syrup
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 12 fluid ounces nutty brown ale
- salt and pepper
- 20 fresh cranberries
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Reserve for another use or discard.
- Place the squash in a baking dish skin side down.
- Fill the reservoir with a teaspoon each of butter, maple syrup, and olive oil.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Add about 5 cranberries to each reservoir.
- Fill almost full with the nutty ale. You’ll only need about half of the beer for the recipe, the rest should be considered a service tax that is paid to the cook.
- Bake for about 45 minutes until the flesh is fork tender.
