Butternut waffles with bacon and tomatoes recipe
These are best eaten as soon as they are made but are also very good reheated in the toaster. Sweet potato is a good alternative to the squash.
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 50 minutes
MAKES
12 waffles, to serve six
INGREDIENTS
1.2kg butternut or Crown Prince squash
275g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
300ml milk
60ml maple syrup
About ¼ nutmeg, grated
3 tbsp melted butter
To serve
12 rashers of bacon
6 tomatoes
Maple syrup
Poached eggs (optional)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Bake for about 45 minutes, until tender. Leave to cool slightly then scoop out the flesh and purée in a food processor. Rub through a sieve if it is very fibrous.
Measure the purée: you should have about 300ml. Any extra can be eaten as a side dish or added to soup. This can all be done the day before.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix in the squash purée, milk, maple syrup, a pinch of salt, grated nutmeg and melted butter (this can be done an hour in advance).
Heat a waffle iron and cook the waffle batter.
Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a dry pan until the fat runs. Nestle the halved tomatoes amongst the rashers and cook until they start to caramelise.
Serve the waffles with the bacon and tomatoes, plus more maple syrup (or a poached egg) if you like.