Jason Hoy and his wife, Melanie Hansche, moved to the United States from Australia three years ago, and they settled in Easton because they fell in love with the strong community and the vibrancy of the city. Two years ago, they opened Tucker—an Australian-style café that features fresh, local, healthy and sustainable food—at the Simon Silk Mill.
Hoy worked in the wine industry for more than two decades, and Hansche is the deputy editor of Food & Wine magazine. At Tucker, everything is made from scratch daily and Hoy says the relationship they have with their farmers is the most important—or, at least, just as important as his feelings about coffee. “Australians take their coffee very seriously,” he says. You will not find a large drip-filter coffee machine at Tucker, but rather small-batch roasters from Partners Coffee in Brooklyn, which is another Australian company.
Their go-to fall dish is a riff on Yotam Ottolenghi’s lamb-stuffed eggplant dish from Jerusalem: A Cookbook. “Every night is date night,” says Hoy, “but this dish makes it feel like an extra-special night in.” It takes flavors from Lebanese spices and lamb, which is a nod back to their Australian roots. Hoy says the extra steps involved in making this dish ensure it’ll never disappoint!
Jason Hoy of Tucker
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 3 Tbsp. pine nuts
- 2 tsp. tomato paste
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. tamarind concentrate
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Pomegranate seeds, to serve (optional)
Tahini Sauce
- 3 Tbsp. tahini
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. To make the tahini sauce, place the tahini, garlic, lemon and salt in a small bowl and mix to a thick paste. Add 2 tablespoons of water and mix to combine (it may seize; keep stirring). Your sauce should be drizzling consistency—add 1 tablespoon of water if needed to reach desired consistency. Set aside.
Arrange the squash in a large baking dish, cut side up. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, until slightly browned.
Meanwhile, mix the cinnamon, cumin and paprika. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and half the spice mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring a few times, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the lamb and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned (about 4 minutes). Stir in the pine nuts, tomato paste, half the parsley and 1 teaspoon sugar and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the filling into the squash. Combine the remaining spices, 1/2 cup of water, lemon juice, tamarind, remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and pour into the baking dish. Add the cinnamon stick and cover the dish with foil. Bake for about 1 hour, basting twice with the pan juices, until squash is very tender.
Transfer squash to plates or a platter and spoon over pan juices. Drizzle with tahini sauce and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and remaining parsley to serve.
Note: You can find tamarind concentrate in the Asian aisle at the supermarket.
Tucker | 1247 Simon Blvd. N107, Simon Silk Mill, Easton | 814.857.8502 | tuckersilkmill.com
