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The following recipe and photography was provided by recipe developer and food photographer, Ashley Durand of Plate & Pen.
Cheer up buttercup, this recipe that is about to make your mouth water!
Like most people, I love French fries! Enjoyed alongside a burger, loaded with toppings and served as appetizer or even nibbled on as a snack, I can never say no to their warm, golden brown goodness.
I heard a rumor that squash is a great substitute for the classic potato. While I definitely figured it was possible, I firmly believed that a fry made out of squash could not rival the deliciousness of a deep-fried spud.
Boy, was I wrong! I grabbed a seasonal buttercup squash from Heinen’s, cut it into the classic fry shape, tossed it in seasonings, baked it, served it alongside a quick sage aioli and basically devoured the whole tray in one sitting!
The buttercup squash baked beautifully and maintained a firm tenderness without getting soggy, and the cool and creamy sage aioli added the perfect hint of fall flavor! Even better, these squash fries offer more nutritional value than traditional potato-based fries, which made me feel a little better about eating so many! If you can’t find buttercup squash, or if it’s not your favorite, use butternut squash instead. It’s actually a bit easier to cut and will taste just the same!
Perfect for tailgating, entertaining, or simply satisfying your French fry cravings, keep this dish on deck while squash is in season!
- Cook time:
- 25min
- Prep time:
- 12min
- Total time:
- 37min
- Servings:
- 4
Ingredients
For the Squash Fries
- 2 buttercup or butternut squash, peeled and cut into fries about 1/3-inch thick
- Heinen's olive oil, enough to coat the fries
- 1 Tbsp. rubbed dry sage
- 1 tsp. garam marsala
- 1 tsp. Heinen's ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. Heinen's cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. Heinen's garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Heinen's dried oregano
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. Heinen's paprika
For the Sage Aioli
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. Heinen's Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup Heinen's olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. Heinen's honey
- 1 tsp. rubbed dry sage
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- In a large bowl, toss the fries a with generous amount of olive oil.
- Add all of the seasonings and cornstarch. Toss to coat.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place a baking rack on top. Place the coated fries on the baking rack. If you don’t have a rack, simply place the fries directly on the parchment. Use two baking sheets, if needed.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the fries. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Be careful when flipping, as the fries will be a little soft.
- While the fries bake, make the aioli. In a medium-size bowl, whisk the mustard, lemon juice, vinegar and salt with the room temperature egg yolk. Very slowly, pour in a tiny stream of olive oil while whisking vigorously. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens significantly. Whisk in the garlic, rubbed sage and honey.
- Serve immediately with the Buttercup Squash Fries. If not serving the aioli right away, store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
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