A whole oven-roasted red kuri squash filled with melted camembert, garlic, thyme and oregano, made for sharing by the spoonful.
The spoon breaks through the cheese rind, scooping up a ribbon of warm camembert and a little orange flesh, still steaming. This stuffed red kuri squash takes center stage on the table, with roasted garlic, fresh herbs and a touch of chili tucked into the slits in the cheese. Allow 45 minutes in the oven, in two stages, to serve 2 to 4 people. This recipe is part of my collection of keto main dishes.
What Is Camembert-Stuffed Red Kuri Squash ?
Itโs a whole, hollowed-out red kuri squash that doubles as a baking and serving dish. It goes into the oven first with just the garlic, then is filled with a whole camembert, scored on top, studded with crushed garlic, thyme and oregano, and drizzled with a mixture of sugar-free maple-flavored syrup, coriander and chili.
You eat the two together : the melted cheese and the tender squash flesh, scooped from the sides. The thin skin softens as it cooks and is edible, too.
The Origins of This Version
Camembert is a soft cowโs milk cheese from Normandy with a bloomy rind. Baked whole, it melts beneath its rind, and the hollowed-out squash provides an edible container that keeps it from spreading.
The only difference from typical versions is the sugar : the drizzle of honey or maple syrup sometimes added is replaced here with sugar-free maple-flavored syrup. According to the recipe, the filling contains 1 g of net carbs per serving ; the squash flesh eaten alongside it adds anywhere from a few grams to about fifteen, depending on the portion.
The Main Ingredients
The red kuri squash should be large enough to hold the whole camembert, with thick walls that hold their shape during baking. Wash the skin well, since itโs edible. Remove all packaging, including the box, before placing the camembert in the cavity.
The three garlic cloves, cut into large pieces, mellow during the first bake before being pressed or crushed. Divide the fresh thyme in half : half goes inside the squash, and the rest goes on top when it comes out of the oven. The fresh oregano, finely chopped or torn, is also divided, with half going into the cavity and half into the slits in the cheese.
The mixture drizzled over everything combines 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar-free maple-flavored syrup, half a teaspoon of ground coriander, a teaspoon of chili flakes and a little salt. Check the syrup label : โ sugar-free โ doesnโt always mean carb-free. Half a tablespoon of avocado oil, mild olive oil or high-oleic sunflower oil and a pinch of salt are used to coat the inside of the squash.
Cooking Tips and Serving
Remove the seeds and stringy fibers without thinning the walls too much. If the squash wonโt stand upright, trim a very thin slice from the bottom, no more, or it may leak. Bake it for 20 minutes at 200 ยฐC with the garlic, then for another 25 minutes once filled. Place the whole camembert in the cavity, score the top, then tuck the crushed garlic and oregano into the slits.
When it comes out of the oven, the tip of a knife should slide easily into the flesh, and the camembert should be soft and melted beneath its rind, without the fat separating. Keep an eye on the surface rather than aiming for a dark crust : how much the syrup browns depends on its ingredients.
Serve the whole squash with small spoons, or with a low-carb pita or flatbread ; an optional green salad lightly dressed with vinegar balances the cheese. Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Reheat covered in short bursts in the microwave until hot in the center.
For a whole camembert cooked without squash, try my air fryer camembert.
For another way to use red kuri squash, try my mashed red kuri squash.
For more low-carb ideas, browse all my keto recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 red kuri squash
- 1 Camembert
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 ร 2 tablespoons syrup sugar-free, maple-flavored
- A few sprigs thyme fresh
- A few sprigs oregano fresh
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 0.5 teaspoon coriander seeds ground
- 1 pinch salt (Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt)
- 0.5 tablespoon avocado oil or mild olive oil or high-oleic sunflower oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200ยฐC. Take the Camembert out of the refrigerator.1 Camembert
- Cut off the top of the red kuri squash (between 1/3 and 1/4). Remove the seeds with an ice cream scoop. Scoop out a little more flesh around the edges. Coat with oil. Sprinkle with salt.1 red kuri squash, 0.5 tablespoon avocado oil, 1 pinch salt
- Peel the garlic cloves and cut them into large pieces. Place them inside the squash.3 cloves garlic
- Place the squash in the baking dish. If needed, trim a small piece off the bottom to flatten it (though the squash will also become more stable as it softens in the oven). Do not cut off too much, or it may leak.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Mix the sugar-free syrup with a little salt, the coriander seeds and the chili flakes. Set aside for now.1 ร 2 tablespoons syrup, 0.5 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- Strip the thyme leaves from the stems, and finely chop or tear the oregano. Set these aside for now as well.A few sprigs thyme, A few sprigs oregano
- Take the squash out of the oven. Remove the garlic cloves with a spoon. Press or mash the garlic.
- Scatter half the thyme and oregano inside the squash. Place the whole Camembert inside the squash. Make slits in the top of the cheese. Tuck the garlic and the remaining half of the oregano into the slits.
- Pour the syrup mixture over the top. Return everything to the oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and scatter the remaining half of the thyme over the top.
- Serve with small spoons, or with a pita or low-carb flatbread.
