Jenny Chandler's Roasted Squash Grain-otto

Name: Jenny Chandler's Roasted Squash Grain-otto
Ingredients: For the grain-otto; 1 kg butternut, kabocha, festival or onion squash, peeled, de-seeded and chopped into rough bite- sized chunks; 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh sage (and 55 g whole leaves if making the Brown Butter); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 quantity Brown Butter and Crispy Sage (see below), optional but do please give it a try; 1 quantity Buttered Leeks and Grains (see below); 200 ml/scant 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock; 50 g/scant ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve; salt and freshly ground black pepper; juice of ½–1 lemon; For the sage butter; 100g unsalted butter, chopped into cubes; 20 sage leaves; For the buttered leeks; 3 leeks; 30g/2 tbsp butter or 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; ½ tsp salt; 500 g cooked whole grains (rye is my favourite here); 100 ml white vermouth or white wine; freshly ground black pepper

Main course

Autumn

Rachael Pilston

22 Oct 2026

Made with

Pure Sea Salt

Jenny Chandler's latest book 'The Capsule Pantry' is as useful as it is delicious. Packed with wonderful ways to use the humble bean, it's a real encyclopaedia of cooking knowledge.

From Jenny 'I hesitated with the ‘grain-otto’ title here, but how else to get over the idea of a dreamy, creamy bowl of grains? The whole grains themselves aren’t going to break down and create the luscious sauce that a starchy risotto rice would, so here we rely on the silky texture of roasted squash and, if I can entice you, an insanely indulgent caramelized sage butter.'

This recipe is extracted from The Capsule Kitchen by Jenny Chandler which is out now (Pavilion), hardback: £22.

Ingredients

For the grain-otto
1 kg butternut, kabocha, festival or onion squash, peeled, de-seeded and chopped into rough bite- sized chunks
1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh sage (and 55 g whole leaves if making the Brown Butter)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 quantity Brown Butter and Crispy Sage (see below), optional but do please give it a try
1 quantity Buttered Leeks and Grains (see below)
200 ml/scant 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
50 g/scant ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of ½–1 lemon
For the sage butter
100g unsalted butter, chopped into cubes
20 sage leaves
For the buttered leeks
3 leeks
30g/2 tbsp butter or 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
500 g cooked whole grains (rye is my favourite here)
100 ml white vermouth or white wine
freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200ºC/400°F.
Place the squash on a roasting tray with the sage and tumble around in the olive oil. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until caramelized and soft.
Go ahead and make the brown butter, if using, then set aside for now.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, reheat the leeks and grains in the stock over a gentle heat for 10 minutes.
Reserve about one-third of the squash as a garnish and mash the remainder with the back of a spoon, or blend if you prefer. Stir the mashed squash into the grains, along with a good spoonful of the Parmesan. Taste and balance the seasoning with salt, black pepper and lemon juice.
Serve straight away, topped with the remaining squash and, if using, a swish of your brown butter and a few crispy sage leaves. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan at the table.
For the brown butter
Melt the butter in a saucepan (you can keep an eye on the colour change in a stainless steel or enamel-lined pan) over a low heat. Now add the sage leaves and increase the heat. The butter will initially sputter a little and you will see large, uneven bubbles rising to the surface. Swirl the pan gently (stirring will splash butter onto the sides of the pan where it will burn); after 1–2 minutes the bubbles will transform into a tight foam.
Use your nose – as soon as the aromas turn biscuity and nutty, you need to check the colour of the speckles of milk solids that are forming under the foam. You are looking for a chestnut brown (and not burnt black). As soon as you think it is ready, tip the butter into your jug or bowl to reduce the temperature; there’s no harm in checking and returning your butter to the pan if you are new to this game.
If using immediately, you can fish out the whole sage leaves and use them for your garnish. If refrigerating, you may want to chop up the sage and return it to the butter.
For the buttered leeks + grains
Remove the outer layer from the leeks, and cut them in half lengthways, right through the root. Give them a really good wash under cold running water, fanning open the layers
to get rid of any soil. Cut off the very tip of the root and
slice the leeks into finger-width pieces, discarding only the toughest green leaf tops.
Warm the butter or oil in a wide pan with a lid over a low heat. Add the leeks and turn them over in the fat before adding the salt. Cover and cook gently for 20 minutes.
Add the whole grains together with the vermouth and heat through for 5 minutes. Season with plenty of black pepper.