Butternut Squash Pot Pie Skewers

Combine lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, and salt in a bowl. Whisk until sugar dissolves. Set aside half the baste for glazing during grilling.

Cut chicken thigh into 3cm cubes, toss with half the calamansi-soy baste, and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours refrigerated. (Never let marinated raw chicken sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours total.)

Peel butternut squash, remove seeds, and cut into 3cm cubes. Cut carrot and potato into similar-sized cubes. Toss all three with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Roll shortcrust pastry out to 5mm thickness. Cut into 2cm cubes. Thread each pastry cube loosely onto wooden skewers (so they don't compress and cook unevenly). Set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat (watch for the foam to subside, about 1 minute). Add diced yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and soft, 5-6 minutes.

Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant. Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to form a light roux.

Pour in heavy cream gradually while whisking. Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens to a creamy consistency that coats the back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Toss marinated chicken cubes with 1 tbsp olive oil. Thread alternating chicken and vegetable cubes onto metal skewers, leaving small gaps for even heat circulation.

Place filled skewers and vegetable-only skewers on a baking tray. Roast in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes until chicken is nearly cooked through (check internal temp approaches 74°C at its thickest point) and squash edges begin to caramelize.

While skewers roast, toss roasted butternut squash, carrot, and potato cubes with the warm pot pie sauce until evenly coated. Return to skewers if desired, or keep on separate skewers.

Heat a charcoal grill or stovetop grill pan to medium-high. Brush skewers lightly with remaining olive oil to prevent sticking.

Place skewers on the hot grill. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, basting generously with the reserved calamansi-soy baste on each turn, until char marks form and sugar caramelizes to a deep amber. Total grill time: 6-8 minutes for chicken skewers (ensure internal temp reaches 74°C), 4-6 minutes for vegetable-only skewers. Pastry skewers need only 1-2 minutes per side — watch closely to avoid burning.

Transfer all skewers to a clean platter. Rest 2-3 minutes — the residual heat finishes cooking the chicken evenly. Give the chicken one final check: juices should run clear with no pink at the center.

Brush skewers one last time with any remaining calamansi-soy baste for extra gloss. Serve family-style directly from the skewers.