Five-Spice Butternut Squash and Gruyère Custard Bake

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel, seed, and cut the butternut squash into uniform 2 cm cubes using a chef knife on a cutting board.

Toss the diced squash in a mixing bowl with olive oil, 3g fine sea salt, and 1g Chinese five-spice powder until every piece is evenly coated.

Spread the seasoned squash across the prepared rimmed baking sheet and roast at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes until tender and caramelized on the edges.

Lower the oven temperature setting to 175°C (350°F) and grease a 2-liter baking dish lightly with olive oil.

Shred the Gruyère cheese using a box grater and finely grate the garlic cloves.

Whisk large eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, grated garlic, remaining 1g Chinese five-spice powder, 2g fine sea salt, and ground black pepper in a mixing bowl until completely smooth.

Arrange the roasted squash cubes across the bottom of the 2-liter baking dish, scatter 100g shredded Gruyère over the squash, and pour the egg custard evenly across the top.

Toast white sesame seeds and black sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant and beginning to pop.

Stir the toasted sesame seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, toasted sesame oil, melted unsalted butter, and the remaining 50g shredded Gruyère in a mixing bowl into a coarse, pebbled topping.

Scatter the fiery sesame pepper mixture evenly across the surface of the unbaked custard.

Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 30 minutes until the edges are set, the center has a gentle wobble, and a digital food thermometer inserted into the middle reads at least 71°C (160°F).

Rest the baked dish on a heatproof surface for 10 minutes before slicing to allow the custard structure to firm up cleanly.