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Pecan is a tall spreading tree belonging to the walnut family. This plant is extremely common on the American continent, especially in Texas and Oklahoma.
In appearance, the pecan resembles a walnut, but it lacks “seams” and has a more elongated ellipsoid shape.
Pecans have a high nutritional and pharmacological value. They contain essential unsaturated fatty acids, tannins, protein structures, vitamins, micro- and macroelements.
This is one of the reasons for the widespread use of pecans in cooking.
use of salted pecans in cooking
Salted pecans are delicious in raw, roasted or dried form. You can add them to vegetable and fruit salads, cereals, cottage cheese, meat, fish and mushroom dishes, as well as pastries and desserts.
Chefs advice combining salted pecans with cheese and balsamic vinegar. American housewives prepare pecan pie, cake, cheesecake, nut muffins and pecan coffee on holidays, grinding nuts with coffee beans and orange extract.
And American and European restaurants serve pecans with chicken, grapes, trout and ostrich meat. The benefit of this product primarily lies in the unique taste that dishes acquire with its addition.
taste of salted pecans
The taste of pecans is a unique case in cooking. If you close your eyes and taste a nut, you will feel an amazing combination of sweetness and salinity at the same time.
This combination is great for both first courses and desserts. Roasting the product also gives it very special flavors. Therefore, many chefs advise to lightly roast pecans to fully reveal the taste.
How to choose salted pecans for roasting
Try to choose the same size salted pecans, with a uniform texture. Also, cooks recommend choosing nuts only of fresh harvest. If everything rattles inside the nut, it means that the nut is not suitable for eating, such a product is very old.
Carefully sort through all the nuts, discard all the pecans with damage. There is an opinion that pecans should be boiled before cleaning. In this way, they can better free themselves from the shell.
Boil the pecans in a large saucepan for 15 minutes. Then drain the water and let them cool down. After that, you can already start cleaning. Also organize a special place where you will chop nuts.
It is important to know that there will be a lot of garbage and husks.
Methods of cleaning salted pecans
If you bought a pecan in a shell, take care of the proper cleaning. Professional chefs give the following tips:
- It is convenient to use forceps for chopping pecans. Pinch the nut in the construction and press until it clicks. But don’t push too hard, otherwise you risk damaging the core itself. After the characteristic crackling of the shell, turn the nut in the other direction and press the forceps again.
- Another very simple method of chopping pecans is to use pliers. The principle of chopping is exactly the same as when using nut tongs.
- A special device for splitting pecans. If you have a lot of nuts, then it makes sense to purchase a device for chopping them. It resembles a small vise. With the help of such a mini vise, you can quickly and accurately crack a large volume of nuts.
- If you do not have any mechanical means for cleaning nuts, just press the nuts tightly against each other, and press until you hear a crack. You can also use a regular hammer.
Have you peeled a pecan using one of the methods? Now it is important to carefully remove the kernel from the shell. Try not to damage the integrity of the pecan halves.
Why do you roast nuts before baking?
If you have chosen baking as a way to prepare salted pecans, then consider an important tip: pre-roasting in a pan skillet. This helps to slightly destroy the outer hard layer of the nut, which helps speed up the process of uniform baking.
It is enough for you to pour oil on a preheated frying pan, put salted nuts there and roast them for about 5-7 minutes. Next, just take a baking sheet, place the pecans there, and bake for about 30-40 minutes until completely softened.
What’s the best way to roast pecans?
If you choose roasting as a preparation of pecans, then you will have a great opportunity to enhance the nutty taste of the product. Roasted pecans are more earthy, buttery and have caramel notes. They also get a gorgeous dark brown color! Professional chefs recommend 2 roasting options:
On the stove. This is the most popular method of roasting pecans. The process takes only a few minutes, and you will get both a nutty taste and a beautiful color. To roast pecans on the stove, use a usual pan skillet. Dip the pecans in olive oil and add salt to taste. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and roast the pecans, stirring occasionally, until they are brown and fragrant, about 8 minutes.
In the oven. You can also roast pecans in the oven. This way you can evenly roast the nuts. Preheat the oven to 350 ⁰F . Cover a baking sheet with a side of parchment paper, and put the pecans on the baking sheet in one layer. Roast them in the oven until they are brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Can I roast pecans in the microwave?
To achieve a light degree of roasting, you can use a conventional microwave oven. Place the nuts in a dish suitable for microwave use and cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes.
Turn the plate so that the pecans can roast evenly. When everything is ready, pecans will have a roasting smell and a nutty taste, but they will not have the dark brown color that you would get if you roasted the product on the stove or in the oven.
Are roasted and toasted pecans the same thing?
Roasting and toasting are similar, but still different terms. Roasting involves using raw ingredients that are exposed to dry heat. Most often, with this technology, cooks do not advise to use any oil.
Then toasting just adds a golden brown color to the nuts. Toasted nuts are browned on the outside, and roasted nuts are fried to the end. You should be careful when choosing between these two technologies of preparation to get the desired result.
How to roast salted pecans
There is a universal and simple way of frying nuts. The technology of preparation will be as follows:
- Cover the baking sheet with foil and lay out the nuts. Level them in one layer.
- Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Mix granulated sugar, salt, spices, honey, water, and vegetable oil in a saucepan and send it to the fire.
- When you see that the mixture has boiled, add the pecans to the pan. Roast them, stirring, for about 1-2 minutes.
- Put the nuts in a bowl with spices and sugar, mix.
- Arrange the nuts in one layer on a tray or on a sheet of foil, parchment. Leave for a while so that the nuts cool down and the mixture is fixed.
- Eat ready-made nuts immediately or store them in a jar, in a container with an airtight lid.
Roasted salted pecans without butter recipe
The main secret of the perfect pecan’s roasting is the absence of oil.. To repeat this recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- pecans (peeled and divided into halves) – 65 g
- coarse salt – 3/4 teaspoon
- ground red pepper – 2 pinches
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the pecans evenly on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and season the nuts with salt and pepper. Roast for another 5 minutes.
Spicy roasted pecans recipe
Gordon Ramsay came up with the perfect recipe for pecans with spices. To make it, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- salted pecans – 350 grams
- powdered sugar – 3 tablespoons
- fine sea salt – 1 teaspoon
- cayenne pepper – 1 teaspoon
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Mix the nuts, powdered sugar, and cayenne pepper in a bowl.
- Pour a little water and cook for 5 minutes so that the sugar caramelizes. Do not forget to stir constantly.
- Preheat the oven and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Put the pecans in there.
- Bake the nuts for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
Roasted pecans for salad
A great option to make an unusual salad is to add roasted pecans to it. To repeat this recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- beetroot – 3 pieces
- green apple – 1 piece
- lemon juice –
- radish to taste – 100 grams
- chicory – 1 head
- carrot – 2 pieces
- celery sticks – 3 pieces
- blue cheese – 75 grams
- sea salt and pepper – to taste
- liquid nut butter – 2 tablespoons
- olive oil – 2 tablespoons
- pecans – 100 grams
- maple syrup – 1 tablespoon
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Toss the nuts into the maple syrup and season with a pinch of salt.
- Put pecans in one layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven for 5-7 minutes.
- Cut the beets into thin slices and put them in a large bowl with cold water.
- Cut the apple into thin circles and put it in a bowl, adding lemon juice.
- Chop the radish and chicory, add to a bowl.
- Cut the peeled carrots into long thin strips. Also cut the celery diagonally.
- Make the dressing; whisk together the ingredients with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- When the vegetables are ready to serve, drain the water and pat the pecans dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper.
- Add the crumbled blue cheese, candied pecans and mix again. Transfer to plates and garnish with celery leaves!
Oven roasted salted pecans
If you want to roast salted pecans quickly, use a regular oven. The technology of preparation will be as follows:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Whisk the egg white in a large bowl until frothy.
- Add the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Whisk thoroughly. Add also the salted pecans, divided into halves.
- Place the mixture on a baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the nuts are browned (stir every 10 minutes).
Plain roasted pecans
If you have only one ingredient at hand – salted pecans, this recipe is for you:
- Peel the salted pecans from the shell.
- Cover the pecans with melted butter before roasting to achieve a better taste.
- Preheat a non-stick frying pan over high heat, reduce it to medium just before adding the nuts.
- Roast the salted pecans for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
Serving ideas for salted pecans
Serving is an important stage in creating an impression of a dish. If we are talking about roasted salted pecans, then pay attention to the following options:
- Fresh greens. Simply decorate the plate with parsley, dill, oregano or rosemary.
- Cheese plate. The taste of salted pecans is perfectly combined with various types of cheese.
- Buns. You can not only add pecans to the dough, but also simply serve them on one plate.
- Salads. This will be a great option, as nuts perfectly reveal the taste of any vegetables.
Storage rules
You can store raw or roasted pecans for months or even years if you store them properly. Keep them in the right conditions, otherwise they will quickly go rancid, spoil their taste or even become unsafe to eat.
The key to proper storage of pecans is to protect the nuts from spoilage factors. Just avoid exposure to high temperatures and sealed spaces. An open plate in a dry place is the best option.
Favorite tools
So that the preparation of pecans does not cause you difficulties, prepare all the necessary tools. Among them:
- Silicone or aluminum baking tray
- Thick parchment paper
- Forceps, hammer, or pliers (for cleaning from the shell)
- Brush (for greasing pecans with butter if necessary)
You can independently vary the set of necessary tools. However, this set will simplify the technology of preparing pecans as much as possible for you!
Main tips
Check out all these tips from professional chefs to get the perfect roasted pecan halves :
- Keep the oven temperature below 300 degrees Fahrenheit so that the nuts don’t cook too fast. Such a decrease in temperature allows the nuts to roast evenly.
- Refuse to use oil to get a beautiful brown-golden crust.
- Do not fry the nuts in the shell to speed up the cooking process.
Verdict
Roasted salted pecans are a great dish for an evening dinner or as a snack! You can easily and quickly prepare such a dish yourself. The main task is not to make the nuts too soft or, conversely, raw.
Just peel the pecans, prepare the necessary tools and start cooking. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try different technologies for preparation!