Use these as croutons on salads or soups, or simply serve them as a side dish.
INGREDIENTS:
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice Grapeseed or light flavored olive oil, as needed ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 4 fresh sage leaves Garlic powder as needed (1/8th teaspoon or so) Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon Wondra flour (optional)
METHOD:
Bring a pot of water to a boil that is twice the volume of the squash, and salt it liberally. When boiling, add the squash cubes and blanch just long enough to take away the raw quality of the squash, 1-2 minutes. Immediately drain the squash and dunk in cold water to slow the cooking. Remove from the water after a minute (so the squash does not become waterlogged) and drain well. Place on paper towels or a kitchen towel and blot dry.
Place the squash into a non-reactive bowl and drizzle with enough oil to coat the squash well. Toss to evenly coat. Season with enough garlic powder to get some on all the cubes and season with salt and pepper. Add the thyme and toss to evenly distribute the seasonings.
Heat a large (12-14 inches is good.) skillet over medium heat. When hot, add enough oil to film the pan with 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch of oil. When the oil is hot, add the sage leaves and fry them to flavor the oil. Turn them when they color on the bottom side and then when they are done, put them on a paper towel to dry.
While the sage fries, dust the squash lightly with the Wondra flour and toss to evenly coat. Toss into a strainer to remove the excess.
When the sage leaves are removed from pan, add the “croutons”. Spread them out. They should have plenty of room, and not be piled up at all or crowding each other. If they do, they will steam and become mushy. If needed, sauté the squash in batches.
Cook the cubes over medium heat until they lightly brown and get a little crispy on the sides. Toss and gently stir to keep them cooking on all sides. If they seem to be getting soft faster than they are browning, turn up the heat to medium-high. Cook until the cubes are tender and golden with crispy edges and sides.
Remove from the pan when done and dry on paper towels.
Use as needed. If putting out in a bowl or serving as a side, break up the sage leaves off the croutons.
Yield: Depends on the size of the squash
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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