In January I posted a recipe for Bahn Mi, as an example of an influential flavor pairing, specifically pickling spice and rice vinegar, from McCormick’s Flavor Forecast 2011.
Each year, the spice company develops a list of emerging taste and trends with input from chefs, food writers, and cookbook authors.
Well here’s another glimpse at the list and this pairing’s hot, literally: fennel and peri-peri sauce.
I’ve been on a big fennel seed kick lately. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is ground and tossed with roasted carrots — easy, delicious and kid-friendly.
Peri-peri sauce is a chile sauce with origins in Africa and Portugal. (You might see it as piri-piri.)
I love a good nut mix and the flavors in this recipe sounded so complex and interesting with layers of spice, heat and sweet plus a nutty crunch. Enjoy. -alyce eyster
Peri-Peri & Fennel Spiced Nuts
Author: Recipe & photo: McCormick
Recipe Type: appetizer
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Serves: 12 (3 Tblsp) servings
Ingredients
- 1 Tblsp McCormick Gourmet Collection Fennel Seed
- ¼ tsp McCormick Gourmet Collection Sicilian Sea Salt
- 1 cup roasted whole almonds
- 1 cup salted whole cashews
- ¼ cup peri-peri sauce
- ½ cup diced dried apricots
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Heat a small skillet on medium heat. Add fennel seed; cook and stir 1 minute or until fragrant. Immediately pour out of hot pan to avoid over toasted.
- Finely crush seeds using a small clean coffee grinder, rolling pin or mortar and pestle. Mix ground fennel seed and sea salt in small bowl.
- Place nuts in a large bowl. Add peri-peri; toss until nuts are evenly coated. Sprinkle with fennel seed; toss to coat well.
- Spread nut mixture in single layer on baking sheet sprayed with non stick cooking spray.
- Bake 1 hour, stirring occationally. Cool slightly, then break apart. Cool completely. Stir in dried fruit. Store in airtight container for 2 weeks.
Thanks for stopping by. Here's to great food and good thymes! -