Maple, Coriander, and Pomegranate Glazed Acorn Squash

This is another side dish I served for my family’s Thanksgiving dinner. I had a lot of fun with taking traditional Thanksgiving ingredients and putting a twist on them. In this one, acorn squash (which I think is boring) gets a sweet, tart, and smoky glaze: the rich maple syrup keeps things traditional, and the pomegranate molasses and coriander provide a great foil to the sweetness of the syrup.

Maple, Coriander, and Pomegranate Glazed Acorn Squash
(serves 4 as a side dish)

2 medium-sized acorn squash
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1/3 cup grade B maple syrup
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup fresh pomegranate arils

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Heat an oven to 350° F.

Wash the squash well and slice them into ½” thick rings. Scoop the seeds out of each ring, and then cut each ring in half. Rinse the squash and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Heat half the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add half the squash rings and sear each side until browned in spots, about 3 minutes per side. Add the remaining oil and repeat with the rest of the squash.

In the meantime, combine the maple syrup, pomegranate molasses, coriander, salt, and butter in a medium-sized bowl. Microwave on high power for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Arrange half the squash in a single layer in a glass baking dish and pour half the glaze over the squash. Repeat with the remaining squash and glaze. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the squash are tender, 35-40 minutes.

Arrange the squash on a serving platter and pour the glaze over the squash. Top with the fresh pomegranate.