Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar

From America's Test Kitchen Season 7: Best Beef Stew

Cooked properly, acorn squash develops a sweet, almost nutty flavor and moist, smooth flesh—a result that should not take hours. But after what seems like eons in the oven, acorn squash often lands on the table with little flavor and a mealy, stringy texture. We wanted the flavor of better, slow-roasted acorn squash in a fraction of the time. To our astonishment, microwaving was the ideal cooking method, presenting a squash that was tender and silky smooth, with nary a trace of dryness or stringiness. Microwaved on high power for 20 minutes, the squash was perfectly cooked. It was best to halve and seed the squash before cooking; whole pierced squash cooked unevenly. Last, we learned that when added before cooking, salt seemed to better permeate the squash. Filling in the only remaining gap, equal portions of butter and dark brown sugar gave the squash ample, but not excessive, sweetness. And for a smooth, cohesive filling mixture, combining the butter and sugar with a pinch of salt and briefly broiling the final product eliminated the nagging sticky glaze problem. Finishing the squash under the broiler also gave it a welcome roasted texture and great caramelized flavor.