Pecans — Flavoring the Savory with Southern Sweetness
My first encounters with pecans were of the super sweet variety—pecan rolls from Pittsburgh’s venerable Duquesne Bakery and pecan pies at local restaurants. In these past dozen years that I have lived in the south, I feel more confident in using this lovely nut in both sweet and savory recipes—not as a simple substitute for walnuts, but in full knowledge of its own special softer texture and delicate flavor.
The Grand Strand and the area around it has a strong relationship with pecans. When looking at a history of the Socastee area, I found that plantations in the area were known to have pecan trees as far back as the Civil War . There is an existing pecan grove near the western side of Secondary Road 616 and just north of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway has been dated back to the turn of the 19th century. Nearby Florence is a hotspot for pecans.
Of course the health benefits of pecans are numerous. Pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, B, and E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.
On the first weekend in November Florence, SC held a Pecan Festival and inaugurated a “Pecan Trail.” Holly Baumier, Director of the Florence Convention and Visitor’s Bureau noted that this “Trail” is a circuit of places to eat and try pecan goodies in and around Florence. You can obtain the “map” online at https://visitflo.com/local-specialties/sc-pecan-trail.html or stop by the Florence Convention and Visitor Bureau ( 3290 W. Radio Drive) to and get a map and a “passport that will be stamped by each and every marked place you visit.
However, if your holiday schedule, like mine, does not permit an immediate trip to Florence, take heart. One of Florence’s largest pecan purveyors has set up their annual booth here in Myrtle Beach at the Coastal Grand Mall—Young’s Pecans. Young’s offers classic bagged pecans, flavored pecans (and samples at their booth!) as well as pies and other pecan goodies, in the mall, at their Florence location and online at http://www.youngplantations.com/. I just received my order of buttered pecans as a holiday treat to put into Joe’s stocking. (Shhh…don’t tell him!)
Young’s website also offers a number of recipes for pecans.
In addition, two of Florence’s restaurant chefs agreed to share their savory pecan recipes with us.
Chef Cooper Thomas of Victor’s ( a hotel as well as a restaurant at 126 W. Evans St.) also had a comment about savories and the pecan: “Pecans give a (savory) recipe a little depth and richness. That natural slight sweetness is the secret. I especially like to use them to ‘bread’ shrimp. It’s one of our most popular dishes. It’s a counterpart to the savory in a salad, not overpowering, especially nice in a salad with blue cheese.” Cooper also makes a pecan butter to put on the top of cooked vegetables like asparagus. He adds, “Pecans are a component of our local history. I remember my Grandma using one of those old jar choppers to break them up so she could add them to things—mostly to desserts. “
Chef Bobby Hall of Town Hall restaurant at 101 W Evans street in Florence contributed a recipe for an Oxtail Ravioli with a Pecan Espelette , which showcases the pecan and the sweet potato in a very continental (French and Italian) type of main course. When asked if you could use a substitute for oxtail Hall replied that short rib, lamb, pork shoulder—any kind of braising meat could replace the oxtail meat. I’ve also included definitions for several of the French terms used in the recipe, just in case, like me, your French course did not cover cooking terms, and a conversion for the ingredients he measures in grams.
My own favorite way to use pecans? I will have to reserve judgment until I’ve tried both of these recipes. How about you?
Pecan Shrimp
Printed with permission of T. Cooper Thomas, Executive Chef, Victor's Restaurant
Breading Mix Ingredients
2 c toasted pecans
2 c panko breadcrumbs
½ tsp cayenne
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
Method for the Breading Mix
Place pecans, panko, cayenne, paprika and salt ingredients in a food processor and blend well. If mixture is too moist, add some panko, a little at a time. Store in airtight container until ready to use. (Enough here for making the shrimp more than once.)
Ingredients for the Breaded Shrimp
1 c flour
1 c buttermilk
1 c of the Pecan Breading mix
24 shrimp, cleaned, peeled, tail left on
2 c canola oil
Method
Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottom skilled until it just starts to smoke. Dredge the shrimp, one at a time, in the flour, then dip in buttermilk and dredge in the pecan breading,
Once all the shrimp are breaded, carefully add half of them to the hot oil. Fry the shrimp on both sides until the breading is a deep golden brown. Remove the shrimp to a towel lined plate and then cook the second half.
Creole Honey Mustard (for dipping)
Ingredients
½ c Honey mustard
½ c whole grain mustard
½ tablespoon Cholula hot sauce
½ c mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
Method
Mix all ingredients and store in container until ready to use. (Refrigerate)
Oxtail Ravioli with Sweet Potato Puree and Espelette Spiced Pecans
Recipe reprinted courtesy of Town Hall restaurant. www.townhallflorence.com
Joan's Notes: For substitution of oxtail, short rib, lamb, pork shoulder…any kind of braising meat, per the chef. Espelette is a type of pepper found in the Basque region of France,. You can substitute unsmoked hot paprika for it. A brunoise is a type of cut on vegetables, a French alternative to dicing. You can dice. Mire Poix is a term for the carrots celery and onions. In cooking. Sweating means cooking in oil or butter, stirring so any liquid that comes out will evaporate and generally things like onions become translucent. For gram to ounce conversion I used the website http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grams-to-ounces.htm where you type in the number of grams and you will get the ounces. For instance, 425 grams is 14.9 plus ounces and 300 grams is 10.5 ounces)
This recipe makes a very large amount.
Ravioli Dough
Ingredients
425 Grams All Purpose Flour (just under 15 ounces)
300 Grams Semolina Flour (10.5 ounces)
9 Egg Yolks
8 oz. Water (by Volume)
2 Teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Method
Add flour and semolina to Kitchen Aid with dough hook
On low speed, add yolks one at a time
Slowly add water and extra virgin olive oil
Once mixed, wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour
Sweet Potato Puree
Ingredients
½ lb. Unsalted butter
5 lb. Sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (seasoned with salt and white pepper)
4 Cups vegetable stock
1 cup Heavy cream
Salt, white pepper, lemon juice to taste
Method
Sweat diced sweet potatoes in melted butter over medium heat for approx. 10 minutes, until they begin to soften.
Add vegetable stock to cover, simmer until completely cooked
Add potatoes to blender or food processer, add cream slowly while pureeing to keep moving. Puree until smooth
Season with salt, white pepper, and lemon juice to taste
Oxtail Farce (filling for the ravioli)
Ingredients
4 large yellow onions
4 large carrots
1 head of celery
1 head of garlic
1 bunch of thyme
5 bay leaves
4 quarts veal stock or low sodium beef stock
5 lb. oxtail (or other braising meat, see above note)
3 tablespoons Mascarpone Cheese
1 bunch of parsley (chopped)
Small amount of red wine for deglazing
Oil for cooking the onions (amount not specified)
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Peel and rough chop 3 onions, 3 carrots, and all but 3 stalks of celery, cut head of garlic in half horizontally.
Heat pan with oil on medium high heat (Dutch oven)
Season all sides of oxtail with salt and black pepper
Sear on all sides until golden brown, pull out, set aside
Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Roast until starts to brown (approx. 5 minutes)
Deglaze with red wine and reduce.
Add oxtail back to pan, add bay leaves, whole thyme, and cover with veal stock
Bring to a simmer, cover, put in 350-degree oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. until meat falls off the bone
Once tender pull Oxtail (or whatever meat you are using) out and pick meat from bones, chop meat up and set aside
Strain liquid from Dutch oven into another pot and reduce over medium heat until half liquid is gone
Brunoise Half of Remaining onion, last carrot and 3 stalks of celery
Heat Dutch oven over medium heat
Sweat Brunoise Mire Poix until onions are translucent (approx. 5 min)
Add chopped oxtail meat
Cover with reduced Jus, simmer (save a little jus (juice) to put over finished ravioli)
Add Mascarpone, season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice and sherry vinegar to taste
Once thick, add chopped parsley and cool
Espelette Spiced Pecans
2 lbs. chopped raw pecans
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
5 Teaspoons salt
3 Teaspoons chopped thyme
2 Teaspoons chopped rosemary
1 Teaspoon black pepper
4 Teaspoons Espelette
Zest of 1 lemon
Method
Mix all the spices together in bowl
Toss pecans with spice mix with extra virgin olive oil so it coats
Roast in 350-degree oven on sheet tray until toasted (approx. 10 min)
Dish Preparation
Put out your dough and the cool filling
Roll out ravioli dough to thinnest setting. Outline your ravioli
Place a ball of cold filling on spaces
Cover with another sheet of pasta, cut into squares, and seal edges of each square with egg wash
Boil pasta in seasoned water until Al Dente. (approx. 4 min)
Serve by putting ravioli on top of warm sweet potato puree, top with warmed jus from the filling and the pecans.
-Top with warm Jus (the juice)and pecans
-Garnish with fresh parsley
This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Pecans — Flavoring the Savory with Southern Sweetness."