Toasting nuts

Nuts are perhaps the most commonly used crunchy ingredient. The rule of thumb when toasting them is to toast different types separately as they cook at different speeds. For example, a pine nut will cook in a quarter of the time that a Brazil nut will take, due to the difference in their size. I prefer to toast nuts in the oven rather than in a pan. Set your oven to 160°C (325°F/Gas mark 3), no higher or you risk burning them. Lay the nuts on a tray (in a single layer – don’t try to toast them in bulk in a small roasting dish) and bake until they turn golden brown. Shake them from time to time to colour evenly. A pine nut will take about 8–10 minutes, a cashew about 15. You can also cook nuts in a dry pan, but I find this less effective and often the nut will burn in patches yet still be raw on the inside. If your nuts have skin on them – this is often how you buy hazelnuts, in particular – then toast them as described above and, once they have coloured, tip them into a tea (dish) towel and wrap them up. The steam that generates in the towel loosens the skin. Once they’ve cooled down to a temperature you are comfortable with, simply rub them together for a minute or so, still in the tea (dish) towel, and the skin will easily come off. To remove the skin from almonds, pour boiling water over them. Once they’ve cooled, the skin should come off fairly easily; if not, soak them again.