WHB: Butternut Squash Gratin With Persillade And Lamb Shanks

Recently my friend Nancy gave me a beautiful butternut squash, grown on a local organic farm.  Butternut squash, which is a fruit, is one of the power foods, full of fiber, vitamins, and beta-carotene.  But, all too often these good qualities are smothered in recipes calling for cream, butter and sugar.  This simple recipe contains the squash, garlic, parsley, a bit of flour, and olive oil.  It cooks slowly, forming a crispy crust, with juicy cubes of squash underneath.  Besides being healthy, this recipe lets the squash flavor shine through.  My husband and I both found it quite delicious. 

Served along side the squash were fork tender lamb shanks, made from Kevin's excellent recipe at Seriously Good.   

Since there are few ingredients in this squash recipe, the role of Italian parsley is crucial.  The chopped parsley and pounded garlic combine into a persillade, which is tossed with the squash and a little flour.  It's all packed into a deep casserole dish, with olive oil drizzled over the top.

After 2 hours of baking, it comes out crispy on top and soft underneath.

After the lamb shanks were done braising, I pureed the vegetables, along with the wine dregs, and sieved the puree. This was served underneath the lamb shanks.

A good meal, it's my submission for Weekend Herb Blogging. The terrific event created by Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen and being hosted this week by Ulrike at Kuchenlatein.  Stop by her blog to see a roundup of other herby recipes from bloggers around the world.

Butternut Squash Gratin  (Italian Parsley)

Note:  This recipe wasn't written down formally. It was alluded to in an old Time-Life cookbook called Vegetables. This is how I did it.

1 butternut squash
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
about 8 Tablespoons of chopped Italian parsley
4 peeled large garlic cloves, pounded in a mortar until a paste
about 1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Peel the squash and cut in half, cleaning out the seeds and fibers.  Cut the squash into cubes about 1/2 inch wide and long. Mix the pounded garlic and parsley together.  Put the cubes into a big bowl and add the parsley and garlic mixture and toss until distributed.  Add the flour, some salt and pepper, and toss again.  Put the squash into a deep casserole, (coated with olive oil or Pam) and drizzle the olive oil over the top. 

Put the casserole in an oven preheated to 325 degrees F.  Cook for 2 hours or until the squash is browned on top and soft underneath.

Comments

[kevin]

Great matchup. And reminds me I've got a butterut I need to eat.

[Kalyn]

I think this sounds just fabulous. Butternut has such good flavor, that you just need a few other ingredients to bring out the best in it. Nice job, I would love to eat this!

[MyKitchenInHalfCups]

How wonderful a recipe alluded to! It really looks beautiful Sher. I think I have a squash on my counter . . .

[Ulrike aka ostwestwind]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe for WHB with us.

[Lydia]

This is the type of recipe that makes me yearn for my summer herb garden, when the parsley is so vibrant. Butternut is my go-to squash for just about everything -- soup, stew, roasted, pasta, whatever.

[Peter]

I never tire of seeing and eating lamb shanks and thank bone peeking out...great job as always.

[Callipygia]

What an interesting preparation of the butternut squash & of course the shanks look divine. I was disappointed of course to realize that the oblong objects in your photo weren't hotdogs but carrots!

[katie]

I can taste that...and it's good! I think I have that book, now I have to go dig for it. But I copied your recipe for next fall's squash season, just in case.

[Deb]

What a wonderful pair-up of foods! I have not had lamb shanks for awhile, but now that you have reminded me - yum!
And I must tell you, I really enjoy your "kitty posts" on the weekend. They really make me chuckle!

[Sues is not Martha]

Ahhh! Drooling! Seriously! At 3:00 a.m. This looks sooo good. I am addicted to orange vegetables and the lamb looks absolutely succulent :)

[Patricia Scarpin]

I love gratins and have never tried it with squash, Sher - delicious idea!

[Kevin]

The butternut squash gratin looks so good!

[sher]

Kevin,

Thank you! I loved your recipe for the lamb shanks.

Kalyn,

Thanks, I liked that I could really taste the squash. I like butternut squash all fancied up, but this was very good too. :)

My Kitchen In Half Cups,

Well, I know that squash was made into something fabulous!!!

Ulrike,

Thank you for hosting WHB!

Lydia,

I agree with you--butternut squash is very versatile. And it's so pretty too!

Peter,

Thank you. I think a tender lamb shank is so succulent...wish I had leftovers! Sigh.

Callipygia,

You are so funny! I loved that you thought the carrots were weenies. :):) That would have made a very interesting sauce!

Katie,

If it's the same book, I find it frustrating! It leaves out a lot of information about some great looking dishes.

Deb,

Upsie thanks you! She enjoys lamb shanks as well. :)

Sues,

Orange veggies make me feel good--just by looking at them!

Patricia,

I hope you try this. It's different from most gratins.

Kevin,

Thank you! :)

[Marcia]

It is funny. Every time I am in English language web sites and I find recipes such as these, garlic & parsely based, I realize that for most of the people it seems to be a different, original thing.

But it is the typpical Brazilian way of cooking. And, by being a Brazilian, when I read the opinion of the readers and cooks, I find it funny! :)

We base our kitchen - always - on simmered garlic and onion. White rice cooked like this, with or without some grated carrots, are the among best side dishes I know - it respects the flavor of most of the main dishes we know.

Chopped ocra simmered like this is also delicious, in my opinion. But you have to add lemmon juice to dissolve its slime. And let the bottom of the pan get a bit burned, to add more taste.

Thanks for reminding me this way of cooking. After years abroad we forget many things!

All the best,

Marcia