Pomme d'or squash and leeks au gratin

En français ici.
I'd like to have something profound and philosophical to say in this post, but I don't. I think this is largely because of the evilness of pomme d'or squash. Oh, they're cute alright, and small and innocent-looking. They have smooth skin and are the size and color of an orange. Yes, they have that rosy golden glow of autumn and Thanksgiving right around the corner. Oh and they smell nice when cooking, and taste delicious. But don't let that fool you. They are mean, nasty buggers.

First of all their skin is tougher than an armored tank. I don't see why armies bother with Teflon when a soldier covered in these little squashes would be near invincible. Okay, ridiculous-looking, but invincible! (Besides there's a long tradition of ridiculous outfits and invincibility - just look at most classic superheros.)


I should have taken Camille's advice and roasted/steamed the squash whole, but I thought it couldn't be THAT hard to cut them in half and take out the seeds. I suppose it was a good idea... until I almost lost a finger. I had to cut into them so hard that when I felt the knife slip onto my index finger, I was sure it was gone for good! Luckily my reflexes are a lot better than I give them credit for and, besides scaring myself half to death, the damage was minimal.

Anyway the end result, a gratin based on a combination of Camille's Squash Apple Crumble and Anne's Gratin de poireaux au four, was absolutely delicious. How delicious, you ask? I might consider cooking pomme d'or squash again just to have it.


For my American readers: this would be a perfect Thanksgiving side dish, and you could substitute other types of squash, since pommes d'or are pretty rare in the US.

6 pomme d'or squash (850g/30 oz - invincible skin included)
sea salt
sage

5 small leeks (or 3 large)
1-2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
splash dry white wine
1/2 cup cream

100g (about 1/2 cup) goat cheese (i.e. chabichou de poitou), sliced
100g semi-hard sheep cheese (i.e. etorki), grated


Preheat oven to 375ºF/190ºC. Cut the squash in half (if you can) and scoop out the seeds. Place halves in a baking dish with a bit of water. Drizzle olive oil on squash and sprinkle with sea salt and sage. Roast until the squash is soft. Remove from oven and scoop flesh into another baking dish. Top squash with half the cheese (both kinds).

In the meantime, wash and chop the leeks. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the leeks and garlic. Cook until leeks are soft (about 15 min). Add a splash of white wine and cook another minute. Remove from heat and add the cream, stirring well.

Pour the leeks on top of the squash and top with the rest of the cheese. Put in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starts to turn golden. Serve hot as a main or side dish!