Episode 50: Nuts and Seeds

Peanut Sauce
Goat Cheese in Nut Crust
Pine Nut Crusted Halibut
Poppy Seed Dressing
Fried Ice Cream
Almond & Pear Flan
Sesame Seed Lavash

PEANUT SAUCE
4 shallots
12 cloves garlic
5 centimetres galangal
3 sticks lemon grass
3 tablespoons turmeric (45 millilitres)
80 millilitres sambal olek (5 tablespoons)
1 litre water (1 quart)
1 litre coconut milk (1 quart)
400 grams peanuts, golden roasted pureed in food processor (13 ounces)
salt and cane sugar to season

Preparation time is 1 hour
Ease of preparation is easy

Coarsely puree the garlic, shallots and galangal in the food processor, or crush in a mortar and pestle.

Chop the lemon grass into 10cm lengths. Tie them with string.

In a large pot, over high heat sauté the garlic puree and lemon grass in oil, until tender and fragrant. Add the turmeric and cook for 30 seconds stirring all the time. Add the water, sambal olek and coconut milk.

Bring to a simmer and add peanuts. Let simmer for 40 minutes. Puree well. Adjust consistency with coconut milk.

Adjust seasoning with salt and cane sugar.
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GOAT’S CHEESE IN NUT CRUST
1 cup hazelnuts (130 grams)
1 cup breadcrumbs (75 grams)
1 egg
2 goat’s cheese logs
2 tablespoons olive oil for frying (30 millilitres)

Preparation time is 20 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy

Grind the hazelnuts and mix with the breadcrumbs. Break the egg, mix up and add a dash of water. Cut the goat’s cheese into 2 inch lengths, dip into the egg wash, followed by the nut and crumb mixture so that it is well coated.

Put the olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Cook the cheese until nuts are brown and have formed a crispy crust, about a minute and a half. Turn to cook other side. Serve on a bed of greens.

Yield: 6 servings.
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PINE NUT CRUSTED HALIBUT
 1 cup pine nuts (200 grams)
2 cups olive oil (500 millilitres)
1 small bunch basil
1 clove garlic, peeled
½ cup olive oil (125 millilitres)
1 halibut fillet portion per person

Preparation time is 45 minutes
Ease of preparation is moderate
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Cook the pine nuts in 1 ½ cups oil in a frying pan (or toast) until golden. Add the nuts, garlic, basil to a mortar and pestle. Crush until a thick nut paste has formed.

Sear the halibut in the pan used for frying the pine nuts. Baste the fish with the pine nut pesto. Move to the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Turn and continue to baste with the pine nut mixture throughout the cooking.

Yield: 2 servings
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POPPY SEED DRESSING
½ cup poppy seeds (70 grams)
½ cup red wine vinegar (125 millilitres)
1 cup olive oil (250 millilitres)
1 tablespoon honey (15 millilitres)
salt and pepper

Preparation time is 5 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Toast poppy seeds in a dry pan in the oven. Add hot seeds to the olive oil. Then add the red wine vinegar and honey. Mix well.
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FRIED ICE CREAM
1 cup crushed macadamia nuts (130 grams)
1 cup breadcrumbs (75 grams)
1 cup flour (125 grams)
1 egg
¼ cup milk (60 millilitres)
12 scoops vanilla ice cream
Peanut oil to deep fry

Preparation time is 5 minutes, plus 2 hours to sit.
Ease of preparation is easy

Mix the crushed nuts and breadcrumbs. Mix the egg and milk in a small bowl. Dip the very frozen scoops of ice cream into the flour, then the egg wash, then nut mixture to coat. Return to the freezer for 2 hours.

Place 4 inches of peanut oil in a pan and heat to 375 degrees. Drop the nut covered ice cream into the oil for a very short time, say 30 seconds. Remove from the oil and serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings
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ALMOND AND PEAR FLAN

For the pastry for a 12 inch flan case:
250 grams flour (8 ounces)
185 grams butter at room temperature (6 ounces)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon sugar (5 grams)
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk (30 millilitres)
1 vanilla pod, scraped

For the pie filling:
200 grams almond paste (6 ½ ounces)
170 grams vanilla sugar (5 ½ ounces)
150 grams room temperature butter (5 ounces)
2 large eggs
70 grams flour (2 ¼ ounces)
1 vanilla pod, scraped

Preparation time is 1 hour
Ease of preparation is moderate
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Pastry - Mix flour, sugar and salt together, add butter and vanilla until consistency is like cornmeal. Add the egg and milk and just mix together.

Peel and poach 4 pears in a vanilla syrup, let cool, quarter and core.

Pie filling - Beat the almond paste, sugar, vanilla seed and eggs until pale.

Add the butter and whip together. Fold in the flour and mix.

Roll out dough and line 12" removable-rim flan pan with dough and let rest. Line the flan with parchment paper and fill with baking beans. Bake crust at 350F for 15-20 minutes until light brown. Let cool.

Spread almond filling in pre-baked shell. Place pears in almond filling and bake at 300F for about one hour.

Glaze with apple or apricot jelly.

Yield: 6 servings
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SESAME SEED LAVASH
3 2/3 cups flour (457 grams)
1 ½ teaspoons salt (7 millilitres)
¾ teaspoon sugar
¼ cup shortening (60 grams)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk (250 millilitres)
¼ cup sesame seeds (40 grams)
2 tablespoons poppy seeds (30 millilitres)

Preparation time is 1 hour
Ease of preparation is easy
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Sift the flour with the salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening. Combine the egg and milk in a separate bowl, then stir the milk mixture into the flour, mixing well.

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Then knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes. Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll each piece out to 1/16 of an inch thickness and cut the dough into triangle shapes. Brush the pieces of dough with water and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sesame and poppy seeds. Bake for 20 –25 minutes in a 375 degree oven, or until browned and crisp.

Yield: 24 pieces
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Recipe Courtesy of Chef Michael Allemeier, Executive Chef at Teatro in Calgary, Alberta, Canada