INGREDIENTS:
450g shallots thinly sliced.
2 tbsp olive oil.
1kg peeled butternut squash.
15g raw cashews.
1 can coconut milk.
4-5 roasted garlic cloves (instructions below).
1 tsp coarse sea salt, plus 1 tsp more for sprinkling.
Fresh ground pepper.
A little olive oil to brush on top of the gratin.
METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 180°.
Slice squash into 1cm slices (cut in half to make it easier).
Pre-heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 mins then add the shallots to the oil. Gently fry for about 20 min. You want the shallots to brown as slowly as possible.
Once the shallots are golden, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon then let them cool on a paper towel. Sprinkle with a little salt. They will become crispy as they cool.
Now you can put together the “cashew sauce.” This can also be done while the shallots are cooking as long as you can still keep an eye on them.
In a blender, add the cashews, coconut milk/water/broth, roasted garlic* and 1 tsp of salt. Puree until the mixture is creamy. Stop and stir as needed to keep it moving through the blender. If you prefer to soak your cashews first use less water in the blending process.
*To make roasted garlic in a pan, just take the cloves still in their paper and heat them in a pan over medium heat. Let them ‘roast’ this way for about 15 minutes, turning every so often to ensure even cooking. It’s ok for the paper to burn some. Remove from heat, let cool, then take off the paper skin.
To assemble the au gratin, spread about 1/4 cup of the cashew mixture on the bottom of a small 7 x 10 casserole dish. Then lay down your first layer of thinly sliced squash. The squash should overlap slightly, but not too much or you will not have enough to do all of the layers.
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