Delicata squash with feta, red onions and fragrant Middle Eastern dukkah is a perfect interplay between sweet and mellow, sharp and tangy. This surprising combination makes a wonderful side dish for the fall season.
I am standing at the counter chopping onions to make delicata squash with feta, red onions and dukkah. Their peel is slippery, and I struggle to get a firm grip on the head. The cuts come out uneven, a messy affair that will not cook at the same time, and I get more and more flustered as I go along. My eyes are watering, and my bangs are getting in my eyes.
And right then, without even noticing, my knife slips and I cut at the end of my finger. Blood appears where just a second ago, there was pink skin.
Sound familiar? Any cook worth their salt has a similar story. One minute you're chopping vegetables, and the next you're on the couch, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.
But you know what is the best way to avoid this type of accident? Get yourself good knives.
A good knife was particularly important in the preparation of this delicata squash with feta, red onions and dukkah. The squash itself is strangely shaped and firm, while the onions are slippery and tend to break apart into a million pieces. The dukkah requires the chopping of peanuts and the crushing of spices.
Though it requires a good deal of work, it all comes together into a beautiful dish. Once roasted (with the skins on!), the delicata squash is sweet and mellow, with a faint aftertaste of coconut oil. The onions, which are soaked in water to reduce their sharpness, provide a nice balance to the creamy feta. A generous sprinkling of fragrant dukkah completes the dish, turning it into a beautifully composed Middle Eastern dish that would compliment any feast.
And all it required was one good knife.
Don't feel like making your own? This is my favorite storebought Egyptian Dukkah spice mix.
The worst accidents in my kitchen involved boiling water and oil, not knives. But you could say that's because I've always been careful about the kind of knives I keep: they're sharp, well-crafted, and well-used.
Perhaps this is why I was so exciting to test out Sabatier's new knife line. Unlike most of the knives chefs own, the Sabatier blades are affordable, widely available, and come in two useful shapes: a cleaver and a santoku knife, a Japanese chef's knife. As I already own a santoku (my trusted Global, which was anything but cheap and widely available), I immediately wanted to try the cleaver.
Over the next month, I tested the Sabatier cleaver on a variety of vegetables. It cut through yams and squash, though not as easily as I expected - you need a good amount of weight to maneuver the big blade, especially as it was perched on a relatively thin handle. The handle itself was the knife's biggest downside: it's too narrow for my hands, and feels flimsy - a scary thought when you're bringing down a sharp, 6-inch blade on a stubborn delicata squash.
I was pleasantly surprised by the knife's ability to easily cut through delicate vegetables like cucumbers, shallots and mushrooms. It was fairly light and decently balanced, especially for such a big knife. I found myself reaching for this unexpected blade for some of the most delicate jobs in my kitchen, and they were a breeze to execute.
Overall, the Sabatier cleaver became another trusted resource on my knife rack. I used it alone in preparing this delicata squash with feta, red onions and dukkah, and it made easy work of the whole affair. It wouldn't be the only knife I own, but it's a great way to diversify your knife set for a sliver of what it would cost to buy a professional grade cleaver.
This post is a partnership with Sabatier, but all opinions expressed here are my own. Please consider supporting the brands that make this blog possible.
Recipe
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Delicata squash with feta, red onions and dukkah spice mix
Ingredients
- 1 delicata squash
- ¼ red onion
- ¼ cup crumbled feta
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 6 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 2 TBs dukkah spice mix
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh cilantro chopped finely (optional)
Dukkah spice mix:
- 4 TBs sesame seeds
- 3 TBs coriander seeds
- 2 TBs cumin seeds
- 1 TB black peppercorns
- ½ cup roasted peanuts
- 1 teaspoon dry green mint or 1 TB fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To preapre dukkah, Preheat a pan to medium heat. Roast sesame seeds for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside.
- Roast coriander & cumin seeds and peppercorns until fragrant. Set aside and let cool.
- Once cooled, combine the seeds with the rest of the dukkah ingredients, and mill in a spice grinder or or pulse in a food processor until a coarse mixture develops (take care not to overprocess, or you'll be left with a paste). Pack in a well-sealed jar; dukkah will keep for weeks.
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Slice onions into crescent moon shapes. Soak in a bowl with cold water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Slice squash into crescent moons. Arrange squash on baking sheet, topped with 2 teaspoons of oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
- To prepare dressing, in a jar combine mustard, honey, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Close jar and shake well to emulsify.
- Arrange squash on a large serving platter. Top with onions, feta and dressing. Sprinkle dukkah mixture and minced fresh cilantro on top.
Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist says
This looks so delicious. I have been eating so much delicata. It is my new favorite squash variety. And I can completely relate to the onion chopping incidents!
kseniaprints says
Onions... I swear, if they weren't so darn delicious, I'd never chop another one as long as I live.
deneen says
The knife that I consistently reach for is my inexpensive Victorinox. It holds an edge, feels good in the hand & gets the job done.
kseniaprints says
I actually *love* Victorinox. I bought them for a few cooking workshops I organized - they were perfect for filleting whole fish in lieu of a fancy fish knife.
Madeline says
Yum! I love autumn squash and this sounds delicious! : )
kseniaprints says
Thank you so much, Madeline!
Rosie says
As someone with a drawer full of blunt Dollar Store knives and two recent IKEA acquisitions, I am extremely jealous of this squash machete!
kseniaprints says
Haha, though the name machete always conjures up pretty negative imagery in my mind, I do feel a bit badass having it called that 😉
Sarah says
I actually don't eat very much squash because they are so hard to chop with just a regular chopping knife. The Henckel knives that I have are pretty good (I like that I can sharpen them!) but they don't hold up very well against squash. But with the red onions & feta this recipe looks so good I might have to try it!
kseniaprints says
Yeah, you need a big knife to really cut squash easily. This cleaver sure helped!
val says
I really like Victorinox.
And I really like this recipe!
kseniaprints says
Thank you, Val! I love Victorinox as well.
jan says
Ha. My two biggest kitchen nemeses - onion because after two cuts I cannot see what I'm doing and squash because my knives can't handle them. Unfortunately, I love those items as well.
I just bought a bread knife and am still amazed at the fact that I didn't have to, no pun intended, squash all those fabulous loaves of bread over the years.
kseniaprints says
It's crazy what a difference a good bread knife makes! We bought a Henckels bread knife a few years back because we did a lot of bread baking, and it made a huge difference in our lives. And it wasn't even that fancy!
I hear ya on the two nemeses. I also dread cutting yams and chilli peppers, because I get a skin irritation from the seeds.. 🙁
mickey kinakin says
I would like to enter the knife contest
kseniaprints says
You're in! Too bad you didn't tell me what knife you liked though.....
Sarah Carson says
That is one handsome cleaver! The squash look delightful as well. Keep up the good work! 🙂
kseniaprints says
Thank you, buddy!
jacquie says
I just get run of the mill knives so no specific favorite. I would love the opportunity to use a really good one.
kseniaprints says
I wouldn't say this is the world's BEST cleaver, but it's pretty nice 🙂 Good luck!
danielle is rooting the sun says
ksenia - - delicata is such a giving and delightful squash, your dish is of the best kind of seasonality. the spices are perfect and warming, and i am a huge fan of red onion!
i can relate a thousand times to the canning dangers, too many burns to mention (you'd think i'd learn eventually!). ah, but i must agree, knives are never something to compromise on. they are an absolute must. very cool cleaver.
wishing love to your week! xo
kseniaprints says
I thought you'd like this one - seeing your delicata squash recipe this week gave me serious cravings! I just might have to get some more.... Thank you, friend 🙂 <3
Katie @ Whole Nourishment says
Ha, yes getting good knives is really important. And keeping them sharp is the other important piece. 😉 I have an electric sharpener but I should use it more often. My favorite knife is definitely my Wusthof Santoku 7 inch. It makes quick work of everything. And this salad looks truly delicious. I love everything about it and it's going on my list to make soon!
kseniaprints says
I have a regular manual sharpener, and like you, I don't use it enough..... I've been wanting to get my Global professionally sharpened for a while now. And if you make this salad, let me know how you like it!
Katie @ Whole Nourishment says
I made this salad tonight and it was amazing. Loved the dukkah dressing and the sharpness of the red onions are the perfect contrast to the sweet squash. I used goats cheese since I already had it on hand but no doubt feta would have been even better.
kseniaprints says
I can totally see how goat cheese would go well here! We made this salad three times already - it's so much more than the sum of its parts. I'm thrilled you liked it 🙂
karen says
My favorite knife is my bread knife - mostly because I love fresh bread so much
kseniaprints says
I hear ya, Karen. My boyfriend uses ours every day - we bought a Henckels bread knife a few years back because we did a lot of bread baking, and it made a huge difference in our lives. And it wasn’t even that fancy!
DJ says
I don't really have a favorite knife, but I am really loving this cleaver!
kseniaprints says
Thanks, DJ!
manda says
I like a bread knife.
kseniaprints says
You're not alone - there are a few bread knife lovers here!
Nancy says
It would be great to have a knife that could handle squash. I have been known to take very large ones to the garage and use an axe on them, just to get that first cut! We have a nice chef's knife from Grohmann (Nova Scotia manufacturer), but it doesn't always have enough heft.
Can I saute the red onion or roast it with the squash? Raw onions just don't agree with me anymore.
kseniaprints says
An axe??? Wow, you're hardcore!
You can absolutely roast the onions with the squash. Though the recipe calls for soaking the onions - I have found that really takes the bitterness out, and it might go easy on your tummy as well. But totally your call!
Robyn says
The cleaver!!!! Ugh wannntttttt
kseniaprints says
Haha good luck! Hope you'll get it 🙂
Nancy Lovering says
I really like my chef's knife from Grohmann (Nova Scotia manufacturer). But even it is no match for some squash. I have been known to take really big ones to the garage & use an axe on them!
Can I saute or roast the onions? Raw ones just don't agree with me anymore.
kseniaprints says
A local knife manufacturer? I'd love to hear more!
grace says
i have to say that my serrated bread knife is my current favorite--it's great for tomatoes too!
kseniaprints says
Totally true. Our bread knife gets tomato action as well.
Berta says
I seem to have a very, very strong dislike for sharp knives since early childhood, but that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate a good knife - without my beloved one, my food decorating skills go out of the window 😉
The person who wins this cleaver will be lucky one and they will be even luckier if they muster up the courage to prepare this scrumptious dish with it!! 🙂
kseniaprints says
Hahaha, you made me laugh. I have to use that the first time I used the cleaver to chop into a butternut squash, I definitely felt a bit like a ninja. It was kind of awesome.