Coffee Bean Roasted Carrots & Squash with Brown Butter Coffee Sauce
Adapted from the Splendid table
½ pound thin carrots (no thicker than ½-inch diameter), peeled
½ pound of your favorite squash, peeled, seeded and cut into strips the same thickness as your carrots)
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
2-3 cups coffee beans
Preheat the oven to 225˚F. Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat to heat for about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the carrots and squash. Toss with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Add enough coffee beans to the hot skillet to generously cover the bottom. Shake the skillet until the coffee is aromatic and the beans look a bit oily, about 3 minutes. Scatter the carrots and squash over the beans in a single layer and cover the pan with a lid or a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake until the vegetables are fork-tender and infused with coffee oil, 2 to 3 hours.
Remove the vegetables from the coffee and discard the beans. Serve immediately.
Coffee Brown Butter Sauce
1½ tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon rosemary
2 tablespoons espresso, freshly brewed
Heat the butter in a small pot or sauté pan over medium heat until it foams and then begins to turn brown and has a nutty aroma. Add the sugar and herbs. CAREFULLY add the coffee and mix, swirling the pan. Season to taste with salt.