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Curly kale, butternut squash, nutmeg and Gruyère gratin
Serves 4-6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 600g butternut squash, peeled, halved and deseeded (approx. 450g prepared weight)
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 300g curly kale on stems or cavolo nero
- 200g smoked lardons (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2tsp freshly grated nutmeg, plus extra to dust
- 1tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2tsp sea salt flakes
- 350ml double cream
- 175g Gruyère, finely grated
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C F/Gas 6. Cut the squash into approx. 1cm wedges, then put them in a 27cm diameter x 5cm deep, heatproof, ovenproof casserole or dish, coat evenly with 1tbsp oil and roast, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes until cooked. Remove from the casserole dish, leaving the oil behind, and set aside. Leave the oven on.
Meanwhile, strip the curly kale or cavolo nero from the stems or spine in bite-sized pieces and discard the stems. Blanch in a large pan of boiling salted water until wilted (cavolo nero will take slightly longer), then drain and set aside. Fry the lardons, if using, in a frying pan until golden, then scoop on to a plate using a slotted spoon and set aside.
Put the casserole dish over a medium heat, pour in the remaining oil and stir in the garlic. When it fizzes, add the wilted curly kale or cavolo nero and turn in the oil. Add the nutmeg, pepper, salt and cream and stir, while it simmers, for around 4 minutes. Stir in around 100g of the grated Gruyère and cook down for a minute.
Gently stir in the cooked lardons, if using, and the squash and add more salt if needed. Scatter the remaining Gruyère over the top with an extra grating of nutmeg, cover with a lid or foil and bake in the oven for around 10 minutes until bubbling. Remove the lid and bake for 5 more minutes to brown the top, then serve.
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