Here’s my hot take: this time of the year is the best time to be a beer drinker.
It’s finally cool enough to enjoy darker, stronger and richer beer styles. There is, of course, Oktoberfest, which stretches from September into October, and brings with it a tide of delicious festbiers and märzens. And who could forget pumpkin beers? (Yes, really.)
It's also my favourite time of year for cooking, when my beloved squashes and gourds are back in full force. It’s with this spirit that I first conceived of this dish: an extra-large butternut squash, halloumi and potato pancake.
Not dissimilar from a rösti, a kartoffelpuffer or a boxty – like a latke, but larger – this potato pancake is turned from a side into a showstopper dish in its own right. Roasted in a large, deep cast-iron casserole pan that’s first preheated on the oven, it develops a deeply burnished, crackly crust all the way around (without needing to be flipped halfway through, or without excessive quantities of oil). Inside, it’s almost creamy, with the heft and main-character energy of a quiche or a pie.
In addition to beautifully floury Maris Pipers, the shredded butternut squash adds balancing sweetness, while the halloumi contributes little pops of salt. To up the autumn factor, I also added fresh sage, nutmeg, mustard and plenty of brown butter. A finishing dollop of crème fraîche to serve is the ideal accompaniment.
This dish speaks beautifully to all the rich, bready lagers that are out there right now – it’d be brilliant with a malty märzen or an amber-hued Vienna lager, though even a straight-up pilsner would do well. It’s also very well matched by Hackney Church Brew Co’s Wurst Behaviour Festbier. The beer’s carbonation and subtle bite of bitterness help cut through its crunch, salt and fat; meanwhile, the dish’s toasty, caramelised flavours complement the beer’s malt profile perfectly.
Together, the two speak to classic Oktoberfest pairings, though they’d work just as well on a Thanksgiving table, or any other seasonal feast.
Butternut Squash, Halloumi & Potato Pancake
Serves 8
1kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled
1 medium (approx. 1kg) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 large yellow onions, peeled
400g halloumi
40g fresh sage leaves
80g flour
80g cornflour
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
2 tablespoons yellow or Dijon mustard
90g salted butter
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Crème fraîche, to serve
1. First, wash and peel the potatoes. Grate using a box grater (or preferably a food processor with a grating attachment, to save yourself the labour). Place the grated potatoes in a mesh bag, tea towel or cheesecloth, and squeeze tightly over the sink to extract as much moisture as possible. Transfer to your largest mixing bowl. Using your hands, gently fluff and separate the grated potato to remove any clumps.
2. Repeat this process – of grating, squeezing out water and adding to the mixing bowl – first with the butternut squash, then with the onions, and finally with the halloumi. Once everything has been added to the bowl, use your hands to mix well.
3. Preheat your oven to 230°C. Place a large cast iron pan in the oven - mine is roughly 11 inches wide and 3 inches deep – and leave it to warm as the oven heats. (If you don’t have cast iron, you can use another similarly sized pan – it just may not crisp up around the edges and sides quite as much).
4. Next, chiffonade (cut into long thin strips) the sage leaves and add to the potato mixture. Add the flour, cornflour, nutmeg, salt and pepper, then mix with your hands to ensure everything is well distributed.
5. Break the eggs into a small bowl and whisk. Add the mustard and whisk to combine. Pour into the mixing bowl and stir through until thoroughly integrated.
6. Now, make the brown butter. Add the butter to a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. It will melt and then begin to foam. As it does, begin to stir constantly with a spatula. Cook for several minutes more, or until the milk solids turn a deep, nutty brown. Remove from the heat right away and pour roughly ⅓ into the potato mixture. Stir through to combine.
7. Carefully remove the preheated pan from the oven. Add ⅓ of the butter, plus the vegetable oil, and swirl to coat the base of the pan (holding the handles with oven mitts to prevent any accidental burns). Scoop the potato mixture into the pan, being careful not to compact it; you don’t want it to be too dense. Using a spatula, gently smooth the surface. Drizzle over the remaining ⅓ of the butter and transfer to the oven.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 200°C, and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until the potato pancake is cooked through and well browned on top. Rotate the plan partway through baking to ensure even browning; if it’s darkening too quickly, loosely tent with foil.
9. Once done, remove from the oven, and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Slice and serve each piece with a generous dollop of crème fraîche.
Claire M Bullen is a professional food and travel writer, a beer hound and all-around lover of tasty things. You can follow her at @clairembullen. For more recipes like this, sign up to our HB&B All Killer No Filler beer subscription - you'll receive Claire's recipe and food pairings, plus expert tasting notes, with 10 world-class beers like this one every month.