Sautéed Kale with Bagna Cáuda and Roasted Butternut Squash

other recipes

Early Fall

|

45 mins

|

2 servings

At a restaurant I used to work at, we made Bagna Cáuda with sautéed cabbage that we served with roasted chicken. I thought of that dish when I picked up the heaps of kale from Otter Oaks this week. Bagna Cáuda is a Piedmontese dipping sauce made with garlic, anchovies, and oil. It’s typically served warm with veggies fondue style. 

In place of anchovies, this version uses a local alternative: smoked whitefish from Great Lakes Tinned Fish. Lisa and I were able to try some fresh caught whitefish during our summer break trip to the Upper Peninsula. Whitefish is fatty and decadent; it reminds me a lot of salmon. The smokiness from it in Great Lakes’ canned recipe gives bacon vibes and brings an awesome richness to the kale, making a great compliment to the creamy light sweetness of the squash.

Ingredients

from your CSA Club Share

from your pantry

  • Great Lakes Tinned Fish – Smoked Whitefish – 1 can
  • Garlic – 3 cloves
  • Butter – 3 T
  • Oil – 3 T
    • I prefer to use local sunflower oil, but olive oil would work otherwise.
  • Salt
  • Herbs (optional) – 1 T
    • I used a mix of parsley, chive, oregano, and savory that I had on hand. You could use any fresh herbs you have on hand or any dry you might have in the pantry.
  • Lemon (optional) – ¼ 
    • Use a splash of vinegar or pickle liquid as a substitute.

larder items

Nothing special for this recipe!

tools

Nothing special for this recipe!

Directions

mise

  1. Preheat the oven to 420F with convection on. On a sheet tray with a silicone pad or parchment paper, oil the two pieces of butternut squash and sprinkle an even layer of salt across the squash flesh.
  2. Once the oven is preheated, bake the squash until you can easily pierce it with a paring knife or fork, ~40 mins.
  3. While the oven is preheating and squash cooking, prep your other items;
    1. Grab handfuls of the kale and bunch it into tight rolls, then make slices ~½ in wide across the roll. Then do a couple chops in the opposite direction for smallish pieces.
    2. Mince the garlic into as small of pieces as you can.
    3. Chop herbs if you have them.
    4. Quarter the lemon if you have it.
    5. Open the tin of smoked whitefish

cook

  1. In a large saute pan over medium low heat, melt the butter along with the oil. 
  2. Once the butter has melted, add the minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, ~30 seconds.
  3. Add the smoked whitefish to the pan, and mix in by smashing into the pan with a spatula. Continue doing this until the mixture turns into somewhat of a paste to make the bagna cáuda.
  4. Once you have a nice bagna cáuda, add the kale and ¼ c of water. Mix well, cover and simmer over low heat until the kale is tender, ~5 mins.
  5. Once the kale is tender, remove from the heat. Add the herbs and a squeeze of lemon. Mix and cover until ready to serve.
  6. Hopefully the squash is finishing up cooking right about now. Once the squash is tender, remove it from the oven.

plate

To serve, plate a piece of the squash alongside a generous serving of the kale.