Butternut Squash Spread with Cinnamon Croutons
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- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeded
- 1 tablespoon clarified unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- CINNAMON CROUTONS
- 1 loaf of round Moroccan bread or any kind of white bread that will cut into oval slices
- Clarified unsalted butter, as needed
- Ground cinnamon, as needed
- 3-inch-long fresh chives, or 3 tablespoons minced chives for garnish
The squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a heavy roasting pan with
vegetable oil spray. Brush cut sides of squash with clarified butter. Place
squash cut-side down in pan. Pierce each squash half several times with tines
of a fork. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender. Discard any liquid in
pan. Scrape out flesh and, working in batches, puree in a food processor. Put
puree in a sieve lined with cheesecloth set over a large bowl and let drain.
Transfer drained squash to a mixing bowl and add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves,
lemon juice, sugar and butter. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
The croutons: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cut bread into 1/8- to 1/4-
inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of each slice with melted butter. Place
on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon. (If you
don't have a cooling rack, turn bread halfway through baking.) Bake for 6 to
8 minutes. Let cool to room temperature on the rack.
To assemble: Using 2 wet teaspoons, form oval-shaped quenelles with squash
mixture. Place a quenelle on one end of each crouton. Garnish each crouton
with a chive. Alternatively, spread some of the squash mixture on each
crouton and sprinkle with minced chives.
Serves 8 to 10.
By Jeff Hollinger, special to the San Francisco Chronicle, November 20, 2002
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