Here's an addictive make-ahead treat for your holiday parties. These pecans will make a very nice gift for a hostess, a good friend or your child's teacher! Parchment paper is available at the Lost River Market & Deli.
SPICY PECANS
From the kitchen of Martha Stewart and tested in the kitchen of Alice Wootton
1 T. Kosher salt
2 T. cayenne pepper
1 ½ t. paprika
½ cup sugar
2 large egg whites
5 cups pecan halves
Heat oven to 300° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the salt, cayenne pepper, paprika and sugar. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy. Whisk in the spice mixture. Stir in the pecans. Spread the coated pecans in a single layer onto the baking sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 250° F. Rotate the pans in the oven and cook for 10 minutes more. IMMEDIATELY, spread the pecans in a single layer on parchment paper. Set aside to cool. Pecans may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week
2 comments:
Alice:
Cn you explain why Kosher salt? I hve been using sea salt lately.
Janet
I started using Kosher salt after seeing so many cooking shows where the chefs would use it. I was amazed at how much better food tasted with Kosher salt over the fine grained table salt I'd been using. I find that the taste of Kosher salt is not harsh or metallic at all and does not tasted as "salty" as table salt. Sea salt is also wonderful, but I've found it to be more expensive, so I've stuck with Kosher. I have sea salt in my pantry for special occasions. I found the following article regarding salts on Martha Stewart's website:
This mineral is in just about everything we eat and is essential for maintaining good health. Salt comes to us from either the sea or the earth, where it is mined from deposits left by ancient oceans. In addition to seasoning food, salt helps the body absorb potassium and balance fluids. Salt also suppresses bitterness in some foods, such as leafy greens, and acts as a preservative. Unlike some herbs and spices, salt's taste does not diminish during cooking, so add it gradually and carefully so as not to oversalt the food. There are several kinds of salt used with food; each has its own taste, properties, and uses. Here are some of the different kinds.
Table Salt
Table salt is fine-grained, refined, and used as a condiment as well as a seasoning element in cooking. It contains an anticaking agent that keeps the grains free-flowing, and may contain iodine (iodized salt), which prevents thyroid-gland disorders. Table salt's small grains make it ideal to use when baking.
Coarse Salt
Many professional chefs prefer to cook with coarse salt because its large grains are easier to pinch, allowing more control when seasoning a dish. Coarse salt weighs less than table salt. For recipes requiring specific amounts, you will need to use about a third more. Kosher salt is a type of coarse grained salt but is less salty than sea salts. It contains no added iodine, and depending on the brand, may or may not have an anticaking agent.
Sea Salt
This salt has the strongest taste and may be coarse-grained or fine-grained. It often has small amounts of harmless minerals and may or may not contain iodine and anticaking agents, depending on the brand. Sea salt makes a wonderful condiment in place of table salt.
First Published: September 2003
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