Cooking With Hazelnuts
As the cold weather starts creeping in, it's time to start cooking heartier dinners to warm us up.
This month's "At The Market" ingredient are hazelnuts, which can add a great roasted sweetness to fall dishes.
Hazelnuts, also known as filberts, are a key ingredient in Nutella and gianduja, the rich Italian chocolate-hazelnut pastes used to flavor candies, gelato, and pastries.
The nuts add depth of flavor and texture to everything from baked goods to sauces and salads.
Besides tasting good, hazelnuts are a good source of fiber, folate, magnesium, vitamins B and E, and monosaturated fats. Eating them may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and high blood pressure.
When buying unshelled hazelnuts, they should feel heavy for their size. Look for glossy shells with full, reddish-brown color. Store shelled and unshelled hazelnuts sealed in plastic. They'll keep for at least six months in the fridge and up to a year in the freezer. Wait to crack unshelled nuts until it's time to use them.
Skins are simple to remove, or keep them on for added flavor, fiber, and color.
Dede Wilson, contributing editor at Bon Appétit magazine, shares three of her favorite fall recipes using hazelnuts.
Mushroom Soup with Hazelnut Gremolata
Serves 6
Gremolata is traditionally made with chopped garlic, parsley, and lemon peel; this one incorporates chopped hazelnuts and uses orange peel instead of lemon.
1 1/2-ounce package dried porcini mushrooms *
1 cup hot water
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1 cup sliced peeled carrot (about 1 large)
1 pound crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced (about 6 cups)
3 cups (or more) vegetable broth
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
1 garlic clove, chopped
12 oz assorted fresh wild mushrooms (such as chanterelle, crimini, and stemmed shiitake), sliced (about 5 cups)
1. Place porcini mushrooms in 1 cup hot water. Let soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Strain, reserving soaking liquid. Coarsely chop porcini.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1 pound crimini mushrooms; sprinkle with salt. Sauté until mushrooms are soft and browned, about 5 minutes. Add porcini and sauté 3 minutes. Add 3 cups broth and reserved porcini soaking liquid and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until mushrooms are soft and flavors blend, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree in blender until smooth, adding more broth by 1/2 cupfuls as needed. Return soup to pot.
3. Mix parsley, oil, hazelnuts, orange peel, and garlic in small bowl. Set gremolata aside.
4. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 12 ounces assorted mushrooms and sauté until soft and browned, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide soup among bowls. Top with sautéed mushrooms and gremolata.
* Available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.
Chicken Scaloppine with Hazelnut Cream Sauce
Serves 4
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup Madeira
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, chopped (about 1 1/4 ounces)
1. Remove tenderloins from chicken breast halves. Slice each chicken breast half on diagonal into 4 cutlets. Place cutlets and tenderloins between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Using mallet, pound each piece to about 1/3-inch thickness. Sprinkle pounded chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to skillet and sauté until lightly browned and cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate; cover to keep warm.
3. Add shallot to same skillet and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Pour in Madeira and bring to boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add cream; boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in hazelnuts. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
Maple-Hazelnut Pie
Serves 6-8
Not as rich as pecans, hazelnuts make for a delicious new spin on a southern classic. Use Grade B maple syrup for intense maple flavor.
3/4 cup pure maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 refrigerated pie crust (half of 15-ounce package)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten to loosen
1 cup hazelnuts, husked, coarsely chopped (about 5 ounces)
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Bring maple syrup, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling 1 minute, reducing heat as needed to prevent mixture from boiling over. Remove pan from heat. Add bourbon, then butter; whisk until butter melts. Let cool to lukewarm, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Unroll pie crust. Line dish with crust. Crimp edges decoratively. Brush crust with enough egg white to coat. Scatter hazelnuts over.
3. Whisk eggs and vanilla extract in medium bowl until blended. Whisk cooled maple-sugar mixture into egg mixture. Pour mixture over hazelnuts in crust.
4. Bake pie until filling is set and slightly puffed, about 50 minutes. Cool completely on rack. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep at room temperature.