Dining At The Parks: Roasted Acorn Squash With Scallops In Olympic National Park

Roasted acorn squash with scallops is a specialty at restaurants in Olympic National Park. Photo courtesy of ARAMARK Parks & Destinations.

Without question, one of the bonuses of visiting Olympic National Park is eating the incredibly fresh seafood you find in the restaurants.

For special events, the chefs at Lake Quinault Lodge, Lake Crescent Lodge, Kalaloch Lodge, and Sol Duc Hot Springs mix seafood, in this case scallops, with acorn squash to create a meal not soon forgotten. Here's how you can make it at home.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Scallops

Yield: 2 Servings

Ingredients:

1 Acorn (Danish) Squash

2oz butter (unsalted)

1oz pure honey

10 oz Fresh Scallops

1 clove garlic minced

2Tbs Shallots minced

2oz Sun dried tomatoes

1 lb. Asparagus (trimmed and cut into segments leaving 6 spears)

8oz Assorted mushrooms

3Tbs Olive oil

3Tbs White cooking Wine

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Cut ends off of squash and cut the squash in half and deseed with spoon. Rub honey on the inside of the squash thoroughly covering the flesh, place a 1oz cube of butter in the cup of the squash, salt and pepper and place on sheet pan and roast in the oven for about 15 minutes with the cup of the squash upright. After 15 minutes flip the squash over and roast for another 15 minutes, the butter that has melted will now act as a steaming agent for the squash during the later 15 minutes.

In a separate sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil and place the scallops in the pan for a nice sear. Once the scallops start to brown, add in your mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and asparagus including the 6 spears. Sauté until mushrooms start to soften, at which point add in your shallots and garlic, salt and pepper and continue to sauté for a few minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine until all the moisture has reduced. Reserve the 6 spears for garnish.

Spoon the mixture from the sauté pan into the squash, letting the squash act as the bowl then allow the mixture to cascade out of the squash onto the plate. Take the remaining asparagus spears and place into the back of the squash giving some height to the plate.