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Recipe Detail Page
Squash Tart with Garlic Confit, Gruyère & Rosemary
Autumn 2021
This French-style pizza is a triumph of caramelized onions, sweet squash, funky Gruyère and melty garlic confit, all on a flaky puff pastry crust. Garlic confit is delicious in mashed potatoes or as a sandwich condiment, plus it yields a lot of garlic oil, which can be used for everything from dressings to roasted vegetables.
Serves 6
GARLIC CONFIT
2 cups (500 mL) peeled garlic cloves (6 to 8 heads)
6 small sprigs of thyme
1 small bay leaf
1 cup (250 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (250 mL) canola oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil
2 lbs (905 g) onions, thinly sliced
Water as needed
1 tsp (5 mL) balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3-lb (1.36-kg) butternut squash
Oil from the garlic confit
Flour for dusting
1 pkg (400 g to 500 g) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
7 oz (200 g) Gruyère, coarsely grated
12 cloves garlic confit, drained
2 tbsp (30 mL) rosemary leaves
1 tbsp (15 mL) hulled pumpkin seeds
1. For the garlic confit, place garlic, thyme and bay leaf in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan so that the garlic fits snugly in 1 layer. Add oil. Place over medium heat. When oil starts bubbling, reduce heat to the lowest setting. Simmer garlic until barely coloured and very soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Very gently spoon garlic into a 2-cup (500-mL) glass jar. Pour in enough garlic oil to cover, saving rest for another use. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.
2. Heat 2 tbsp (25 mL) canola oil in a large frying pan (not nonstick) over high heat. Add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring regularly until brown layer has formed on the bottom of the pan, 4 to 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with a splash of water, stirring up brown bits with a wooden spoon. Repeat process 2 more times, or until onions are soft, sweet and brown. Stir in vinegar and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to plate to cool. (Onions will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 5 days.)
3. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
4. Cut neck from the bulbous base of squash, saving base for another use. Peel squash neck. Cut in half lengthwise. Slice each half into 1/4-inch (5-mm) thick half-moons and place on a large parchment-paper-lined baking tray. (You only need enough to cover 1 baking tray, so save the rest for another use.) Brush both sides lightly with garlic oil and season with salt. Bake on the middle rack until just tender, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from oven.
5. Dust work surface with flour. Roll puff pastry into roughly a 10 x 15-inch (25 x 38-cm) rectangle. Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined baking tray. With the tip of a paring knife, score a 3/4-inch (2-cm) border. Brush border with beaten egg. Spread a thin layer of onions within the border, saving rest for another use. Sprinkle cheese over onions and top with squash. Arrange garlic confit on top. Toss rosemary and pumpkin seeds with a few drops of garlic oil and sprinkle over tart.
6. Bake on bottom rack until puffed and brown, about 20 minutes. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving. If the top is a bit oily, blot with a paper towel. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 6
