Flavour nugget #2: brown butter pecan croutonsRoasty-toasty nutty-buttery; sweet n salty fans, rejoice!
Read this to learn more about Flavour Nuggets. I’m sharing one of my favourite power moves this week: a serious crouton. Sure, you can coat some bread in oil and fry or bake it and you will have a perfectly serviceable Crunchy Thing, but there is an opportunity to add more flavour, and, as you may have gathered, I’m always here for that.
BROWN BUTTER IS OUR QUEENBrown butter sounds fancy but is stupendously easy to make. It’s basically… heating butter. What happens is that the water evaporates, the Maillard reaction kicks in and new, intense flavour compounds are created. At the same time, the milk solids sink and are toasted on the bottom of the pan, bringing that nutty flavour so characteristic of the ol’ BB. We’re using this now toasty amber liquid to coat our croutons because, well, bread and butter works very well as a combo, doesn’t it. However, the pecans are where the fun really starts. An elite nut and a species of Hickory, they are rich and buttery themselves. Bread, butter and pecans, therefore = the perfect thruple. CROUTON 101Two things are important here 1) the bread must be a bit stale, otherwise the croutons won’t crisp up properly and 2) the pecans need to be smashed up so they’re part nut dust, part crumbles - the nut dust sticks to the bread, while the larger crumbles roast in the butter on the bottom of the baking sheet. These are a fantastic autumnal nugget to have on hand. I’ve eaten them with a wedge of cheddar and an apple as a snack, and I’d definitely serve them as part of a cheeseboard instead of crackers. Of course, they’re begging to garnish soup - scroll down for a BONUS RECIPE - and for paid subs this week there's a salad full of bold, cold-weather flavours, crowned with a seriously nostalgic element I’m determined to bring back into fashion.
Brown Butter Pecan CroutonsMakes 6 servings 350g stale (important) sourdough bread, torn into irregular-shaped pieces Preheat the oven to 170C (fan). Brown the butter by melting it in a pan over medium heat. Continue to heat the butter, swirling the pan occasionally until it’s foamy and you have lots of brown specks on the bottom. It will smell nutty and caramelised. Cool it quickly by transferring to a small bowl suspended in a slightly larger bowl of cold water. Crush the pecans until you have a dusty rubble. You want lots of well-crushed ‘dust’ to stick to the croutons and some larger pieces for texture. Arrange the bread in a single layer on a baking tray and put it in the oven for 10 minutes (yes, just dry at this stage). Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add one-third of the butter and whisk to incorporate, then stream in the remainder while whisking, followed by the maple syrup. The mixture should be light and frothy. Remove from the oven and toss with the egg mixture, then the pecans. Season with sea salt and mix again. Return to the oven and cook for another 8 minutes, then toss briefly and return to oven for a final 2 minutes. They will keep for a few days at room temperature in a well-sealed container.
BONUS RECIPE! Spiced Pumpkin Soup with Frazzled Sage and Pecan CroutonsThis is the perfect vehicle for showing off those croutons; a seriously smooth soup with a gentle buzz of spice and a backnote of roasted garlic. Yes, we’re using 2 whole bulbs. Be brave. A drizzle of last week’s sesame-garlic crunch also goes down VERY well as a garnish here. 1.5kg low moisture pumpkin such as Delica, or butternut squash Preheat the oven to 180C (fan). Cut the pumpkin or squash into wedges and arrange on a baking tray with the garlic bulbs. Combine the cumin, coriander and garam masala with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and rub all over the pumpkin and garlic. Cook for 20 minutes, or until tender (butternut squash will take a little longer). Make the crispy sage by heating neutral oil to a depth of 1cm and adding the sage leaves (they will spit as their water is released). Cook for around 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a saucepan (large enough to hold everything) and cook the onion until softened. Add the smoked paprika and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, before adding the stock and bringing to a simmer. Once the pumpkin has roasted, scrape the flesh away from the skin and add to the pot. Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins and add those too. Use a hand blender to whizz the soup to a creamy, smooth texture. Add the white pepper and check the seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Garnish with a swirl of your chosen dairy, the crispy sage and the brown butter pecan croutons. Enjoy!
SUPERSIZE ME!For paid subs this week, an unbeatable cold-weather salad. Subscribe to get the recipe. Until next time, Flavour Fans x
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Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Flavour nugget #2: brown butter pecan croutons
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