Nuts, Legumes, and Seeds

In this section, nuts and their relatives are covered, including seeds and legumes, the family to which peanuts belong. It is important to note that nuts, peanuts, and seeds should always be toasted in order to bring out their flavor. When they are raw and untoasted, they don’t really have much flavor. To toast nuts and peanuts, it is advisable to coarsely chop them before toasting them. This will toast more surface than if the nuts were whole, but this will also depend on the nut’s use. Perhaps chopping them is not visually what you had in mind. In order to get an even toasting for all of these types of ingredients, it is a good idea to stir them around the pan every few minutes while they toast in a hot oven so that they brown evenly. Some chefs say that they gauge the extent of the toasting of a nut, peanut, or seed by smelling them. As soon as they perceive the nuts’ toasted aroma coming out of the oven, the nuts are ready. When you can smell them, yes, they are in fact becoming aromatic, but a golden browning on the surface takes a little longer than from when you first smell the aroma. The color is the best gauge. This also gives them a better visual appeal.