RECIPE :: Stuffed squash with walnuts

This recipe only uses the bottom of the squash, so the top can be used in a separate meal or steamed and mashed with butter and pepper to use as a side dish.

Ingredients
4 butternut squashes,
4tbsp of olive oil,
200g of millet,
4 medium shallots (finely chopped),
2 cloves of crushed garlic,
1tsp of dried sage,
1tsp of dried thyme,
½ tsp of ground cloves,
700ml of water,
50g of dried apricots (thickly chopped)
50g of walnuts (roasted),
1tsp of salt and
¼ tsp of pepper.

Method
1) Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5 / 190C / 375F.
2) Cut the top off the squash so your left with the orb shaped bottom.
3) Remove all the seeds from the centre of the squash. Rub 1tbsp of the olive oil into the inner flesh of the four squashes.
4) Place the squashes onto a baking tray and fill the tray with water to a depth of 1cm. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
5) Meanwhile we need to make the millet stuffing. Sauté the millet for 8-9 minutes or until fragrant and slightly browned. Put into a mixing bowl. Mix 1tbsp of the olive oil with the millet until evenly coated.
6) Fry the shallots with the remaining 2tbsp of olive oil over a medium heat for 2 minutes.
7) Mix the garlic, thyme, sage and cloves with the shallots and fry for a further minute.
8) Put the shallot mixture, millet, apricots and water into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the water has been fully absorbed.
9) Add the salt, pepper and walnuts to the millet.
10) Stuff each squash with the millet then put onto the baking tray (with the 1cm of water). Bake for 20 minutes.