Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for frying sage
4 shallots, peeled and minced
2 small butternut squashes (3 pounds total), peeled, seeded, and diced
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 cups water
24 slices pumpernickel bread, about 2 loaves
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
48 small sage leaves
Preparation
In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil; add shallots and cook until transparent, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add squash, nutmeg, salt, peppers, and water and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Keep warm.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut crusts from bread and flatten slices with a rolling pin. Cut two 2-inch squares from each slice.
Brush both sides of squares lightly with melted butter and fit into muffin tins. Bake 15 minutes, or until crisp. Let cool in tins.
Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a small frying pan. When a sage leaf sizzles when dipped in, fry leaves in batches until crisp but still green, 1 to 2 minutes.
To serve, place a spoonful of the hot butternut-squash filling in each croustade and garnish with a sage leaf.
