8tablespoons1 stick chilled grass-fed unsalted butter, cut into cubes (ghee, coconut oil or palm shortening will also work)
¼teaspoongarlic powder
1teaspoonfresh thyme, finely chopped
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
¼cuptoasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped (instructions to toast included below)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375ºF and lightly grease a casserole dish (with butter, ghee or olive oil)
Make the Filling: In a large mixing bowl add the cubed butternut squash, the chopped kale, shallot, bacon (if using) and thyme. Set aside.
In a small (2 quart) heavy-bottomed sauce pot, melt butter (ghee or olive oil) over medium-low heat. Add the cassava flour (or other flour of your choice)
Cook, whisking constantly, for five minutes. If you are using butter or ghee, the roux will darken and become almost a little brown; if not, roux will remain pale.
Add the coconut milk, in a slow and steady steam. Whisking constantly. Heat the sauce until it thickens, about three minutes. Add the garlic powder and parmesan cheese (if using). Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Pour the cream sauce over the bowl of veggies. Toss well until the veggies are well coated in the sauce. Pour the filling into the prepared casserole dish.
Make the Crumble Topping: Place the almond flour, banana flour, garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the butter pieces and pinch with your fingers until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal, you should have pea sized lumps of butter.
Scatter the crumble topping over the filling. Cover with foil (to keep the crisp topping from browning too much) and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, you are looking for the squash to become tender. Remove the foil for the final 15 minutes of baking to get the topping browned and a bit more crisp.
Toast the Hazelnuts: In a heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat, spread the hazelnuts out in a single layer.
Stir or shake constantly for 5-10 minutes or until hazelnuts become fragrant and brown.
They may not brown evenly, that's ok. Remove immediately from saucepan, as they will to continue to brown. Do not overcook or they will taste burnt and bitter
Once nuts are cool enough to handle, remove skins by rubbing with a clean, dry dish towel or use your bare fingers. A small amount of skin remaining on the nuts is normal. Roughly chop the hazelnuts.
Remove the crumble from the oven and scatter the toasted hazelnuts over top. Serve while warm.
Notes
I really love the roux-like quality this sauce gets from the cassava flour. Currently it's my favorite flour for building thick grain-free sauces. Gluten-free AP flour or rice flour are also great options if you are OK with grains. Some AP flours will gum up. Arrowroot is another great option, but it can be a bit finicky, as well.Be aware if you cut the butternut squash larger, it will take longer to cook, so keep that in mind for timing!