It’s fun to have dinner parties for 4 or 6 or 8. (I can’t go higher than 8.)
It’s also fun, and much easier, to have a dinner party for 2.
We have, for as long as we’ve been married (decades), had a first course / starter for our weekend dinners.
Sometimes it’s as simple as a few asparagus spears or sliced tomatoes drizzled with Balsamic vinegar. Other times it can be much fancier. It depends on mood and how labor intensive the main dinner is.
The best part about first courses is they’re small so they can be a bit decadent.
The holidays are coming – have some fun with your food!
Monday posts in November: Fun First Courses.
Click here to Pin Butternut Squash Timbales with Applesauce
PrintButternut Squash Timbales with Applesauce
This is a bit fussy, but you could use purchased apple sauce to skip a step. We (I) thought the dish was worth the effort.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: First Courses
Ingredients
- 1 cup (7oz, 200gr) cubed butternut squash
- pinch of nutmeg, salt
- 2 tbs Greek yogurt or crème fraiche
- 1 egg
- 6 small sage leaves
- Caramelized Shallots:
- 2 medium shallots, cut in half, sliced
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp water
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp chopped sage leaves
- 1/4 tsp rosemary
- Apple Sauce:
- 1 medium apple, peeled, chopped
- 3 tbs water
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp rosemary
- 1/4 tsp sage
- 2 ‘1 cup’ size ramekins
Instructions
- Caramelized Shallots:
- Heat 2 tsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat and add shallots.
- Sauté 10 minutes, until starting to brown.
- Add water (it helps speed things up and prevent burning) and stir well and let continue to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned.
- Add brown sugar, vinegar, herbs, and cook, stirring for 2 more minutes.
- Squash:
- Put cubed squash into a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 10 – 12 minutes, or until tender.
- Remove and put into a bowl.
- Add the pinches of salt and nutmeg.
- Mash the squash with a fork and mix well.
- Put the egg in a medium bowl and whisk lightly.
- Add yogurt and whisk well.
- Add the squash and stir well to combine.
- Ramekins:
- Butter 2 ramekins and line bottom with buttered parchment or waxed paper.
- Make 2 more circles and butter one side for the top.
- To Assemble:
- Put 3 sage leaves upside down in each ramekin.
- Top with the caramelized shallots, evenly divided.
- Spoon the squash on top, dividing evenly.
- Put ramekins into a baking pan (I use a bread pan) with deep sides.
- Pour hot water into the pan coming half way up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake in 400F (200C) oven for 30 minutes, until set – top will be firm.
- Apple Sauce:
- Put apple in a small saucepan with 1 tbs water.
- Heat over medium-low until apple is soft, about 15 minutes.
- Add sugar, herbs and heat through.
- To Serve:
- Remove from oven and carefully remove ramekins from hot water.
- Run a knife around edges of timbales and invert onto small plates.
- Remove paper carefully.
- You should have a lovely top of 3 sage leaves nestled into the shallots.
- Spoon Apple Sauce on the side and serve.
Notes
Peel butternut squash using potato/vegetable peeler. Cut it in half the long way (blossom to stem) and remove seeds. Cut cubes, 1/4″ (.5cm), until you get one cup. Wrap the remainder in film and refrigerate.
Use Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, or other cooking apple. Make the Applesauce while the timbales bake.
For an easier version: Butternut Squash Timbales
That’s it !