Monkey Puzzle Nut Recipe

Previously I talked about my encounter with the monkey-puzzle nut. Now I take it that these are not too popular in the culinary world, or maybe I should say non-existent. Or maybe I just didn’t look in the right place. I searched around for various ways to put them to use but didn’t have much luck. Take that as I didn’t find lists of recipes like monkey-nut encrusted halibut or say chocolate monkey-nut torte. I’m sure there are quite a few recipes out there but I didn’t see anything stand out. Nor did I click on numerous sites in order to see if there was one buried somewhere. Maybe those cooks just aren’t into the online thing or, if they are, just are not aware of how to make something of this sort more noticeable. Then again, maybe the recipe out there is to cook, peel , and eat. Enough of that, time to be creative.

Here are some measurement specs:

When I found these nuts, labeled piñon, or pine nut in English, I thought hmmm since I can never find the common pine nut for a decent pesto, maybe these will make a great substitute. So I decided to send a note over to Dan, over at SaltShaker, on his thoughts because 1) he’s on the search for great pesto up in Buenos Aires and 2) he has posted a few times about pine nuts. The only problem was basil. I had two large potted basil plants until earlier this year when they decided that their time was right not to be a part of this world any longer. The only basil I can find at this time of the year are small seedling type plants encased in plastic-wrapped trays. Not very practical when you need an abundant amount. However, herbs like parsley and cilantro are offered in large fresh bunches. Basil is a pretty sensitive plant so my guess is that due to it being winter and all, freshly cut bunches wouldn’t make the journey from wherever they are grown. Who knows.

Arugula was also offered as a suggestion but that was hopeless as well. Around here, one week it is available and for the next three it isn’t. Obviously the powers that be decided that pesto would just have to wait for another day. A bit of a mash up was quite in order. I wanted a fresh herb sauce, with nuts of course, and an abundant amount of garlic. However, I wanted to take it a step further and create a sauce for meat. Meat, that is the theme of this site of course. Therefore, I decided to fall back on two trustworthy friends in my savory flavoring world: cilantro and chili peppers. Give me a puree of those two on a desert island and I’ll be like a pig in…..well you know.

The idea for ingredients were swirling in my head. I wanted this sauce to have a sour note as well as nice kick. The monkey-puzzle nuts would provide some nice texture and at the same time keep the sourness from going too far.

Obviously, to me at least, these things need to be cooked for any use. I took a nibble out of a raw one and the experience was like eating a cashew with a pinch of cornstarch and flour. Therefore, I roasted 18 monkey puzzle nuts in the oven within their shells for about 10 minutes. . Before I go further, a word to the wise when roasting monkey puzzle nuts within their shells in the oven: give each one a prick with a knife just to prevent an explosion disaster. With my first attempt at roasting these monkey-puzzle nuts, “exploded” didn’t come anywhere near the mess that occurs when roasting chestnuts. Let’s just say that when I roasted chestnuts for the first time, it sounded like some unknown enemy was launching an artillery barrage on my kitchen. Cleaning the oven afterward was another matter. I didn’t know that you needed to give a decent prick or slice on the casing. I didn’t believe the same was required for monkey-puzzle nuts and there were a few POPS, but only the shells ripped open, not a full blown grenade explosion like the chestnut.

So I pulled the nuts out of the oven and let them cool while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. I took 4 jalapeño peppers, split them in half, and removed the membrane and seeds. Next I took a bunch of cilantro, that equaled probably 1/4 cup when finely chopped, and chopped it up a bit to make it easier on the ‘ol food processor. Then I peeled four large cloves of garlic.

I wanted this sauce to be a bit chunky so I decided to pulse the cilantro, garlic, jalapeños, and nuts together along with about 1/2 cup of olive oil and 1/8 cup each of lemon juice and red wine vinegar in a food processor. Everything pureed nicely but the nuts were still a bit chunky; just the way I wanted them to be.

Next was the season to taste part where the measurements became a bit cloudy. Basically I drizzled in various amounts of olive oil and vinegar, along with salt, until a proper balance was reached.

If you ever come across these nuts, give em a try. I wouldn’t be surprised to see, some time down the road, that these become one of those fad-crazed ingredients that hit the culinary world ever so often. Monkey-puzzle this, monkey-puzzle that, you know what I mean.