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Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts
Ingredients
- 8 oz untoasted nuts (1 ½-2 c), whole almonds, cashews, and walnuts
- 2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 Tbs unsalted butter
- 1 Tbs maple syrup
- 1 tso packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp fleur de sel, or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Add 8 ounces nuts and scatter 2 or 3 fresh thyme sprigs over the nuts. Roast for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon fleur de sel or flaky salt (or ½ teaspoon fine salt), ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ to ½ teaspoon piment d’Espelette or cayenne pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth. You won’t have much liquid, but it will be all that you need.
Add the warm nuts and thyme to the saucepan and cook, stirring, until they are coated with the mix, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the nuts and thyme to the baking sheet and spread them out — they won’t bake well if they’re in clumps.
Bake for 5 minutes. Stir and turn the nuts and bake until fragrant and deepened in color, 4 to 5 minutes more. Place the baking sheet on a rack and discard the thyme. Sprinkle with more fleur de sel (or fine salt), and let the nuts cool completely (they will initially be sticky but crisp up).
Recipe Notes
Tip: If you decide to make a batch with more than 1 pound of nuts, bake them on two baking sheets.
Substitutions: You can swap the thyme for rosemary (or even a little lavender), or add curry powder, smoked paprika, ras el hanout, or garam masala to the spice blend.
Salmon Rillettes
Classic salmon rillettes, a spread made of both smoked and fresh salmon, is bound with butter, flavored with lemon, and only lightly seasoned. This version is zestier than tradition would have it, and the two variations that follow are more exotic, but they’re all perfect as an aperitif nibble (they’re made for white wine and sparklers), a brunch dish, or picnic fare. I often double the recipe, keep one batch, and spoon the other into a pretty canning jar to bring as a hostess gift. This dish doesn’t need to be made with the most expensive salmon, smoked or fresh. If you can buy smoked salmon bits, get them. They’re sometimes cut from the end of the salmon fillet and so they’re a little saltier — taste before you add any more salt to the rillettes. As for the fresh salmon, I’ve had good results using frozen wild Alaskan salmon fillets. If they have skin on them, I put them — still frozen — skin side down in a pot of simmering water for 1 minute and that’s enough to loosen the skin so that it’s easy to remove. Also, it’s okay to poach the salmon when it’s still slightly frozen — just cook for 3 minutes.“
*The rillettes are best when made at least 6 hours ahead, packed into an airtight container, and refrigerated.*
Ingredients
- 2 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts minced
- 1 lemon
- 1/ 2 cup (120 ml) white wine, or white vermouth
- 1/ 2 cup water
- fine sea salt
- 6-8 oz (170-227 g) salmon fillet, fresh or frozen skin, bones removed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon), rinsed and patted dry
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/ 4 lb (113 grams) smoked salmon, cut into thin strips or small squares
- 1/ 4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard, (preferably French)
- 1/ 2 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed, patted dry, and finely chopped if large
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced cilantro
- Crackers, toast, or dark bread, for serving
- Fresh herbs, minced or thinly sliced for serving (optional)
Method
Toss the dark green scallion parts into a medium saucepan, add the wine, water, and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Drop in the salmon and lower the heat so that the liquid just simmers for a minute (3 minutes if the salmon is frozen), then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and set aside for 10 minutes.
Drain the salmon (discard the cooking liquid) and transfer to a plate; refrigerate for 20 minutes. (You can refrigerate the salmon for up to 1 day; cover it once it has cooled.)
Using a flexible spatula and working in a medium bowl, beat the butter until it’s spreadable. Grate the lemon zest over the butter, squeeze the juice from half of the lemon into the bowl, and add the reserved minced scallions, the shallot, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Blend thoroughly, then stir in the smoked salmon. In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, honey and capers. Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into the bowl and stir in some pepper. Scrape this out over the smoked salmon mixture and blend well. Remove the poached salmon from the fridge, cut it into bite-size pieces, and gently stir them into the smoked salmon mixture — even if you’re extremely gentle, the salmon will flake and flatten; go with it. Fold in the dill and cilantro, then taste for salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
You can serve the rillettes now, but the flavor and texture are better if you pack them into a sealed container and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Serve with bread or crackers and, if you’d like, put out minced herbs that can be sprinkled over each serving.
Storing: The rillettes will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Variations:
MISO-SALMON RILLETTES: Use the same amounts of fresh and smoked salmon and cook the fresh or frozen salmon as above. Beat 3 tablespoons softened butter until spreadable. Mix in 3 tablespoons white miso, grate over the zest of 1 lemon, squeeze in the juice from half of it and add 1 minced small shallot. Season with a pinch of salt and a little pepper. Blend thoroughly, then stir in both salmons, 3 tablespoons minced mixed herbs (or use cilantro), and a splash of Sriracha. Taste for salt, pepper and Sriracha.
FRENCH-ASIAN SALMON RILLETTES: Use the same amounts of fresh and smoked salmon and cook the salmon as above, adding 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar and a pinch of togarashi (see page 000) or cayenne to the poaching liquid. Mix the butter, lemon zest and juice, shallot, and minced scallions together as above, and stir in the smoked salmon. In another bowl, mix together 1⁄4 cup mayonnaise, 1 to 2 teaspoons gochujang, the juice from the remaining lemon half, and 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar. Add to the smoked salmon and blend well. Add the sliced poached salmon and the cilantro, then taste for salt, togarashi, and gochujang.
Mustard Bâtons | Makes about 40 bâtons
Ingredients
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (each about 8½ ounces), thawed
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- 1 large egg
- Poppy seeds, for topping (optional)
Directions
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Have a ruler and a pizza cutter (or sharp knife) at hand.
Working with 1 sheet of pastry at a time, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until you have a rectangle that’s about 12 x 16 inches. With a short side of the rectangle parallel to you, measure the length, so that you can find the middle. Spread ¼ cup of the mustard over the lower half of the dough, stopping about 1/8 inch from the side and bottom edges. Fold the top portion of the dough over the bottom and, with your ruler as a guide, use the pizza cutter (or knife) to cut the pastry from top to bottom into strips about 1 inch wide (I use the width of the ruler itself as my guide), then cut the strips crosswise in half. If you’d like, leave the strips long.
Carefully transfer the bâtons to one of the baking sheets and chill or freeze them while you work on the second batch. (You can make all the strips to this point, place them close together on a baking sheet or cutting board, freeze them and then pack them airtight – see below.)
Lightly beat the egg with a splash of cold water and brush just the tops of the strips with this glaze. If you’d like, sprinkle them with poppy seeds.
Bake the bâtons for 8 minutes. Rotate the sheets from front to back and top to bottom and bake for another 7 or 8 minutes, or until the strips are puffed and golden brown. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the bâtons rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
Serving: These are especially good with Champagne, white wine, or Kir, the official aperitif of Dijon.
Storing: Unbaked bâtons can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months and baked while still frozen. Brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle them with the poppy seeds, if using them, just before baking.
