The Gravitational Pull of a Caloric Black Hole

I was going to talk about how to get things done for my first post of the year, but 2014 is when I balance work and fun. So I’m starting things off with a tale of the calorically dense foodie delight that I cooked on New Year’s Day: Butternut Squash Duck Confit Wraps with Brown Butter Sage Sauce.

Several years ago, I had ravioli filled with butternut squash and duck confit, and I’ve been salivating over them ever since. I had some duck confit in the freezer left over from last year’s duck cassoulet. So I decided to give the ravioli a try.

Fat overload #1. I tracked down a butternut squash ravioli recipe.  (I have become a huge fan of Emeril Lagasse. I’ve made quite a few of the recipes he’s posted on the Food Network and they are all fabulous.) The pureed butternut squash is to die for. It has heavy cream, Parmagiano-Reggiano grated cheese, and butter, so it’s delicious, although not particularly healthy.

Fat overload #2. I thawed the duck confit, shredded it, and fried it until it was nice and crispy.

Fat overload #3. The brown butter sage sauce. I grow sage in my balcony garden each summer and then freeze the leaves in September. This sauce is also great on salmon. I like to cook the sage leaves until they’re crispy.

I still don’t have a pasta maker or a ravioli tray. But I did have chapati bread in the freezer. So, I lightly toasted some chapati in a frying pan, then added some squash and confit, rolled them up, and dipped them in the sage sauce. Yummmm.

I know. I know. It’s time to cleanse. Keep this recipe on hand for a special occasion.