Cutting the fries is not easy, especially the hard shelled, round variety we grow, though I try to cut them as uniform in size and thickness as possible.
If you want them crispy, baked vegetable fries require high temperatures. But beware there is a fine line between just right and burnt. Butternut squash tends to be mushy and needs an additional trick called cornstarch. Not flour, flour would only harden the fries. Embrace the squash flavor. It is so overpowering, unless you completely obliterate it with insanely hot spices, any attempt at seasoning falls short and just ends up muddying the flavors.
Butternut Squash Oven Fries
1 butternut squash
extra virgin olive oil
salt
cornstarch
Amounts required depends on the size of your squash, I go by feel. It is true in this case that adding less gradually is better than throwing in too much. These fries require small amounts of ingredients; you just want a light coating on every fry.
• Preheat oven to 450F.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Wrestle the squash down to half, I find a clever works well. Be careful and try to avoid the ER. I wasn't.
• Cut the squash into workable segments and peel off all the outer shell.
• Slice the pieces as uniform as possible.
• Add olive oil, salt and cornstarch in that order, tossing after each addition. You want everything evenly distributed. If you don’t want your skin cells ending up in the mix, use a pair of plastic gloves, but do dig in, you can’t do it justice with a pair of utensils.
• Scatter the fries on the prepared baking sheet.
• Place in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Turn the fries over after 15 minutes.
• Keep a close eye on it after this. At this temperature there is a fine line between done and burnt.
• Serve the fries as soon as they come out of the oven.
