Ingredients

• 400 g pumpkin or squash, chunksdense and sweet, such as Crown Prince, for contrast against the cream
• 2 large focaccia piecesthick and airy, bakery-style
• 1 burrata, about 150 g
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp chilli oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 6 sage leaves
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. 01

   Take the burrata out of the fridge

   Set the burrata out now, still in its water, so it is at room temperature by the time you serve. Cold burrata is firm and bland; at room temperature the centre runs.

   Room-temperature burrataCold from the fridge the centre is set and tastes of very little. Twenty minutes out.

   Never reheat burrataWarm the bread and the squash. Let the cheese meet them cold.

2. 02

   Roast the pumpkin

   Heat the oven to 220 C / 200 C fan. Toss the 400 g pumpkin chunks with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, salt and pepper, spread on a tray with space between the pieces, and roast for 25-30 minutes until caramelised and completely tender.

   400 g pumpkin or squash, chunks · 1 tbsp chilli oil

3. 03

   Crisp the sage

   Fry the 6 sage leaves in the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a small pan over medium heat for 30-45 seconds, until they stop hissing and turn crisp. Lift onto kitchen paper.

   6 sage leaves · 1 tbsp chilli oil

4. 04

   Mix the dressing

   Whisk the chilli oil with the honey and lemon juice until it looks cloudy and slightly thickened. The honey and acid are what make the chilli oil taste like a dressing rather than just heat.

   1 tbsp chilli oil · 1 tsp honey · 1 tsp lemon juice

5. 05

   Warm the focaccia

   Put the pieces of focaccia in the oven for the final 5 minutes, so the edges crisp while the centre stays soft and open.

   2 large focaccia pieces

6. 06

   Build

   Pile the pumpkin onto the warm focaccia, crushing a few pieces so the rest has something to sit on. Tear the burrata open directly over the top so the cream spills across the squash, then spoon over the chilli dressing and finish with the crisp sage, flaky salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

   Tear it over the foodYou want the cream landing on the pumpkin, not running away on a board.