Pur

chas
eacopyof

BAS
I
CT
O BRI
L
L
I
ANT
,Y
AL
L
atoneoft
hes
er
et
ai
l
er
s
:

ii

Will_9781607740094_2p_01_r1.indd 2

Basic to Brilliant, Yall

6/23/11 5:37 PM

Brilliant,
Basic to
Ya ll

150 Refined Southern Recipes and

Ways to Dress Them Up for Company

Virginia Willis
Photography by Hlne Dujardin

TEN SPEED PRESS

Berkeley

Will_9781607740094_2p_01_r1.indd 3

6/23/11 5:37 PM

190

Will_9781607740094_2p_02_r1.indd 190

Basic to Brilliant, Yall

6/23/11 5:42 PM

# Winter Greens and Butternut Squash Gratin

Serves 8 to 10

The amusing thing about Thanksgiving is that it is the one meal that is almost immovable in terms
of menu. Each family member has that one dish that is his or her favorite, and for some, the entire
holiday is absolutely, positively ruined if the sweet potatoes are topped with something other than
toasty brown marshmallows or if the squash casserole is missing. The deal is, dishes can be added,
but nothing can be removed from the menu. I learned this the hard way. I have had, without fail, some
form of cooked winter greens at every Thanksgiving meal of my entire life. In late November, the
fields have been kissed with a touch of frost, something that Meme said brings out their sweetness.
I added this dish several years ago, and it has become a family favorite.
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, plus more for the gratin dish
2 butternut squashes, (about 3 pounds total), cut in half
lengthwise and seeded
1 (10-ounce) bag chopped kale
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
6 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2

teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of ground allspice

Leaves from 4 sprigs thyme, chopped
11/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons plain or whole-wheat fresh or panko
(Japanese) breadcrumbs
2/3

cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about

21/2 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Butter a large gratin dish.

Peel the squash, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch
slices; set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Add the kale and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander, then squeeze out any
excess water.
Heat the oil in a large saut pan over medium-high
heat. Add the garlic and the well-drained greens. Cook
until the greens are slightly wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.
Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, place half the sliced squash in the
prepared dish and season with salt and pepper. Combine the nutmeg, allspice, and thyme in a small bowl.

Spoon the kale over the squash and sprinkle with half
the seasoning mixture. Top with remaining squash and
sprinkle with the remaining seasoning.
Pour the cream over the gratin and cover with a
piece of aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes, remove
the foil, and press down on the squash with a spatula to compress. Cover and continue baking until the
squash is soft when pierced with the tip of a knife,
about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the breadcrumbs and cheese
in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Decrease
the oven temperature to 375F. Remove the foil from
the gratin dish and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture
over the squash. Dot with the butter and continue baking, uncovered, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes
before serving.

Brilliant: Short Recipe

Slow Cooker Turkey

I went round and round on how to elevate this interesting and delicious dish to Brilliant. What I kept
returning to was how many people have commented to
me that they have added this recipe to their Thanksgiving repertoire. Quite the feat, I think, since thats
an almost impenetrable list of recipes to infiltrate. I
decided that turkey must be the key. This is a bit more
complex than some of my Brilliant suggestions, but

continued

Vegetables

Will_9781607740094_2p_02_r1.indd 191

191

6/23/11 5:42 PM

Some of the recipes in this book include raw eggs, meat, or fish. When these foods are consumed raw,
there is always the risk that bacteria, which is killed by proper cooking, may be present. For this reason,
when serving these foods raw, always buy certified salmonella-free eggs and the freshest meat and fish
available from a reliable grocer, storing them in the refrigerator until they are served. Because of the
health risks associated with the consumption of bacteria that can be present in raw eggs, meat, and
fish, these foods should not be consumed by infants, small children, pregnant women, the elderly, or
any persons who may be immunocompromised.

Copyright 2011 by Virginia Willis

Photographs copyright 2011 by Hlne Dujardin
Back cover photograph copyright 2011 by Angie Mosier
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com
Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher

ISBN 978-1-60774-009-4
Printed in China
Design by Betsy Stromberg
Food styling by Gena Berry
Prop styling by Angie Mosier
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition

Will_9781607740094_2p_03_r1.indd 278

6/23/11 5:44 PM

Pur
chas
eacopyof

BAS
I
CT
O BRI
L
L
I
ANT
,Y
AL
L
atoneoft
hes
er
et
ai
l
er
s
: