Sliced squash and chopped onions, caramelized in a skillet with bacon drippings and finished simply with salt, pepper and a pat of butter.
Skillet Squash
You don't really have to wait for summer to prepare summer squash because it's pretty much available year round these days. Still, it's one of my favorite, abundant and inexpensive, summer veggies, whether it's in a casserole, a dressing, in a gratin, or creamed. Heck, I even slice it up and snack on it raw!
I enjoy it steamed or smothered also, but this skillet method takes it a step beyond, caramelizing it in bacon drippings to, as Barbara, one of the Facebook family members called it, GBD - golden brown delicious!
We are starting with bacon drippings! Squash are so neutral in flavor, that you need some boosts and, well, bacon drippings are a great way to start. You did know that bacon is a seasoning in the south, right? You can certainly start with butter or cooking oil here too, but the bacon drippings help with the caramelization process.
Don't you love this vintage grease pot? You don't need one really, I mean a lidded jar works just fine, but you definitely should be saving your bacon grease! There are many ways to use it. Be sure to stir it up once in awhile and I do keep mine in the fridge since I don't use it enough to keep it out on the counter.
Rinse and slice squash about 1/4 inch thick; set aside. I use a mandolin to make sure the slices are equal and cook evenly. I'm also using both zucchini and yellow squash here. Heat 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings over medium high heat and add onions, sautéing them until lightly browned. Take care to not burn them as they can become very bitter. For that reason, I prefer to use a slotted spoon to remove the onions and set them aside while I brown the squash, returning the onions to the pan just to warm through at the end.
Add remaining bacon fat, brown sugar, squash, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring several times, until browned. Brown sugar helps with the caramelization process also, so I like to use a little. Old school cooks often added some sugar to fresh vegetables to brighten the flavor, not enough to make it dessert mind you, but just a pinch.
Return onions to pan to warm through, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. For a little bit of heat and another flavor boost, I like to toss in some chopped, jarred, pickled jalapeno at the end. For raw jalapeno, you'll need to sauté that with the onion. Gently stir in butter until melted. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve right away.
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