Ayote en miel

Ingredients

Squash

• 1.5 kgayote or a dense winter squash
• in large pieces with the skin left on

Syrup

• 500 grapadura or panela, chopped
• 600 mlwater
• 3cinnamon sticks
• 6whole cloves
• a strip of orange or lime peel

Sometimes added

• 1 tablespoonaniseed
• 2whole allspice berries
• a pinch of salt

To serve

• the syrup, spooned generously over
• a piece of fresh white cheese, optional

Directions

1. Press the skin with a thumbnail to test it. It should be hard and resist the pressure. Wash the outside thoroughly under running water. Cut it into large wedges with a heavy knife. Take care, since dense squash is hard to cut. Scoop out the seeds and stringy centre.
2. Cut the wedges into pieces of a similar size. Score the flesh lightly with a knife. That scoring helps the syrup soak in. Chop it with a heavy knife on a sturdy board. Wrap it in a cloth first to stop pieces flying.
3. Put the chopped rapadura and water in a wide pot. Add the cinnamon sticks and the cloves. Add the citrus peel and any other spices. Stir it over a medium heat until fully dissolved. Bring it to a simmer for about ten minutes. It should be dark and smell strongly of molasses. Lay the pieces into the simmering syrup.
4. Arrange them in a single layer where possible. The syrup should come well up the sides of them. Add water if the pot looks dry. Cover it and turn the heat right down. Let it cook very gently for about an hour.
5. Turn the pieces every twenty minutes with a spoon. Do not use tongs, which break the softening flesh. Take the lid off for the last twenty minutes. Let the syrup thicken around the squash.
6. Spoon it over the pieces as it reduces. It should turn dark, glossy and sticky. Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered.
7. Let it stand for several hours or overnight. The pieces keep drawing syrup into themselves. Lift the pieces out onto a shallow dish. Spoon the thick dark syrup generously over them. Portions should be small, since it is very sweet.

Technique

• Rapadura is the Honduran name for unrefined whole cane sugar, sold in hard blocks or cones.
• Candied squash of this kind is made across Central America and Mexico, with the occasion differing from country to country.

Substitutions

• Panela, piloncillo or dark muscovado sugar all replace rapadura.
• Butternut squash is the easiest widely available substitute for ayote.

Variations

• The Guatemalan version, ayote en dulce, is made almost identically for All Saints’ Day.
• Some households cook sweet potato or green papaya in the same syrup.
• A version with plenty of aniseed is made in parts of Honduras.

History

Squash simmered in panela syrup with cinnamon, eaten during Lent and Holy Week across Honduras.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ayote en miel?

Ayote en miel is a dessert from Honduras: squash candied in raw cane-sugar syrup. Squash simmered in panela syrup with cinnamon, eaten during Lent and Holy Week across Honduras.

How long does Ayote en miel take to make?

Ayote en miel takes 20 minutes of preparation and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 8. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Ayote en miel?

Yes, within limits. Panela, piloncillo or dark muscovado sugar all replace rapadura. Butternut squash is the easiest widely available substitute for ayote.

What is the most important thing to get right in Ayote en miel?

Turn the pieces every twenty minutes with a spoon. Do not use tongs, which break the softening flesh. Take the lid off for the last twenty minutes. Let the syrup thicken around the squash.