Nuts in the Kitchen (6 page)

Dried Apricot, Lemon, and Almond Bread

Makes 10 to 12 servings

This wonderful sweet and savory bread, called a “cake” in France, was inspired by one I tasted at the
salon de thé
in the garden of the Musée de la Vie Romantique in Paris. Chef and owner Didier Bertrand gave me his recipe, and I tweaked it just slightly until it came out, to my taste, perfect. I do as the French do and serve this cake cut into small slices as an apéritif, with a glass of chilled Savennières or a flute of champagne.

Note:
Try to find unsulphured apricots for this bread—dark and plump, they offer a true apricot flavor.

1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Butter a loaf pan. Line it with parchment paper, butter the parchment paper, and dust it lightly with flour.

2.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt onto another piece of parchment paper.

3.
In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the eggs until they are broken up and blended, then slowly whisk in the dry ingredients and the black pepper. Stir in the melted butter until it is thoroughly blended, then fold in the apricots, cheese, fennel seeds, lemon zest, and almonds, making sure the nuts are well distributed throughout the batter.

4.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, rap it sharply on a work surface to release any air bubbles, and bake in the center of the oven until the top of the bread is golden
and a sharp knife stuck in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

5.
Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out onto a wire cooling rack. After about 10 minutes, peel off the parchment paper. Let it cool and serve. This bread will keep for up to 3 days, carefully wrapped. Don’t refrigerate it, as refrigeration dries it out.

Savory Squash and Cheese Bread

Makes 8 to 10 servings

The texture of this savory
gâteau de potimarron au Comté
lies somewhere between that of a crustless quiche and the Savory Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, and Pistachios that follows. It makes a wonderful accompaniment to a rich white wine, such as one from Château Turcaud, sliced into thick slices, then cut in half on the diagonal.

This makes a lovely appetizer, but it is also a good main-course lunch dish, with a crisp green salad alongside. Some of my friends serve it as a vegetable, too, alongside a steak or lamb chop from the grill.

Note:
Use kuri or another very firm squash, such as butternut. A watery squash like pumpkin won’t work, unless you are willing to cook all the liquid from it once it is steamed.

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.

2.
Bring 3 cups water to a boil in the bottom half of a steamer or in a saucepan fitted with a collapsible steamer. Steam the squash in the top until it is tender through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the steamer and place the squash in a large bowl. Using a potato ricer or masher, mash the squash until it is nearly completely smooth. Do not be concerned if there are some small lumps.

3.
Whisk the eggs with the cream and milk in a medium bowl. Whisk in the flour and salt, then fold in the grated cheese. Stir this mixture slowly into the squash just until all the ingredients are combined. Fold in the oil, half the
toasted pine nuts, and the pepper. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

4.
Pour the squash mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Top with the remaining pine nuts. Bake in the center of the oven until the bread is firm to the touch and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature, then turn out of the pan. To serve, cut into thick slices, then cut each slice in half on the diagonal. This will keep for up to 2 days, wrapped well and refrigerated.

Savory Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, and Pistachios

Makes 1 loaf; 10 to 12 appetizer servings

A friend of mine, Marie Boivin, who is also part of a wine-tasting group that meets monthly at my home, brought this one evening, and it was the hit of the soirée. Savory and tart, tender and toothsome, it is such a very French appetizer. Appetizers like this were all the rage in France in the 1960s, and while they’ve never gone away, they are currently experiencing something of a revival. There are so many variations on the theme, and every now and then one of them is exceptional, like this one.

Note:
You may also add thin strips of prosciutto or other air-cured ham to this bread.

Also, if you want to serve this as a dressed-up accompaniment to an apéritif, slice it, then slice each slice into four diamond shapes and arrange them on a platter or plate. That way they are a handy, savory little mouthful.

If you have very dry sun-dried tomatoes, you may want to plump them slightly by steaming them, then carefully pat them dry.

1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

2.
Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder onto another piece of parchment paper.

3.
In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the eggs just until they are broken up. Whisk in the mustard, then quickly whisk in the dry ingredients. Fold in
the melted butter, then the tomatoes, nuts, seeds, and cheese until thoroughly combined.

4.
Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven until the bread is golden on top and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

5.
Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out onto a wire cooling rack. After about 5 minutes, peel off the parchment paper. Let the bread cool before serving.

Dukkah

Makes 1½ cups (375 g)

Dukkah
was one of those words I kept hearing from my cooking students during the spring of 2007, when this savory mixture was just becoming popular in the United States. Everyone seemed to be sprinkling this savory, spicy, crunchy, nutty mixture atop everything. I’d forgotten about it until I went to the Portland, Oregon, farmers’ market and discovered Oregon Dukkah, a company devoted to making delicious dukkah from Oregon hazelnuts.

I was delighted to find dukkah, and more delighted at the possibilities it offers. Now that I have it in my repertoire I use it on many things—to liven up a salad, to sprinkle on steamed vegetables or fish, to fold into bread or pastry dough. One of my favorite ways to serve it, and one that surprises and pleases, is as an impromptu apéritif along with freshly baked bread and raw seasonal vegetables and a dish of exceptional extra virgin olive oil. Dip the bread and/or vegetable in oil, then dip in dukkah. You won’t stop!

Note:
Try adding dukkah to bread dough, or slipping it under the skin of a chicken before roasting.

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

2.
Toast the hazelnuts in a pan in the oven until they begin to turn golden and smell toasty, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a paper bag or a tea towel, which you must close around the nuts so they steam slightly and their skins blister away from the nuts. Note that hazelnuts tend to roast unevenly, and you may need to return some of them to the oven to continue roasting. When the nuts are cool, rub them in the towel or bag to remove as much of the papery skin as possible.

3.
Place the sesame seeds in a pan and roast them in
the oven until they begin to smell toasty, about 8 minutes. Check them often, as they have a tendency to toast very suddenly. Remove from the oven and cool.

4.
Place the coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat and sauté just until they begin to smell fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Repeat with the cumin seeds.

5.
Place the hazelnuts, sesame seeds, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Add the coriander and cumin seeds, pepper, and paprika and process until the mixture is nely ground. Be careful not to overprocess so the nuts don’t become oily. Taste for seasoning—you may want to add more salt. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool dark spot for up to 2 weeks or indefinitely in the freezer.

Walnut and Cheese Crackers

Makes about thirty-six 4½ × 2½-inch (11 × 6-cm) crackers

These will remind you of Cheez-Its, those bright orange squares some of us loved as kids, though these are so, so much better! Here, walnuts provide a nutty flavor that is balanced by the cheese and butter. These are delicious as appetizers—try them with some thinly sliced cucumber and a bit of cumin salt (Chapter The Basics) or gomasio (Chapter The Basics). Make a bit of yogurt cheese, add some to a cracker, and top with thinly sliced vegetables or halved cherry tomatoes. These also make a great after-school snack.

Note:
Be sure to let the dough rest the required amount of time so the gluten in the flour has time to relax, resulting in tender crackers.

1.
Place the flours, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor and mix with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix until the butter is incorporated into the flour so the mixture looks a bit like coarse cornmeal. This will take some time in an electric mixer; be patient! It will be quicker in a food processor, and it is possible to do it by hand as well, by rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips. Add the walnuts and cheese and mix just until combined.

2.
Whisk the egg with 3 tablespoons water and add it to the mixture ingredients with the mixer on. If using a mixer, the dough may clump on the paddle, so stop the machine, remove the clump of dough, and continue mixing, adding ½ cup (125 ml) water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it holds together.

3.
Let the dough rest, covered, for 30 to 60 minutes.

4.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper.

5.
Lightly flour a work surface. Working with half the dough, roll it out as thin as you can,
¹
/
₈
to ¼ inch (.3 to .6 cm) thick. Cut the dough into strips 2 inches (5 cm) wide, then cut the strips the length you’d like them. Transfer the pieces of dough to the prepared baking sheets, arranging them so they are almost touching, as they will not expand during baking. Bake in the center of the oven until they are pale gold and cooked through, which will take 15 to 18 minutes. Be careful not to overbake them, as they can become bitter. Transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool, and when they are completely cooled, either serve them immediately or store them in an airtight container. They will keep well for about 10 days.