Spicy Hazelnut Sauce Food

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the chocolate hazelnut spread, heavy cream, orange zest, vanilla and cayenne, if using, in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk until blended and hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve warm, poured over your favorite ice cream or dessert, topped with roasted hazelnuts, if using.

HAZELNUT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat a 5 1/2-quart braising pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan and continue to heat. Using a paper towel, dry the chicken pieces well. Season all sides of the chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add the chicken to the hot pan skin-side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown and the chicken releases easily from the pan, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook the other side until nicely browned, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
• To the hot pan, add the carrots, celery and onion. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables are fragrant and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the hazelnut liqueur and balsamic vinegar to the pan and cook, scraping up all the brown bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, olives, figs and oregano. Nestle the chicken pieces into the vegetables skin-side down and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through.
• Transfer the braised chicken to a clean platter to rest. Simmer the sauce until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the hazelnuts and parsley.

HAZELNUT-CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH GORGONZOLA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Mix the flour, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder on a dish. Beat the egg whites in a shallow plate or bowl. Place the hazelnuts on a piece of wax paper or plastic spread on a cutting board or work surface.
• Preheat a nonstick skillet with an oven-safe handle over medium to medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Turn in flour to dust the breasts, then turn them in the egg whites, then press the breasts into the nuts on both sides. Wash hands. Add EVOO to the pan and add the chicken. Brown the nuts-crusted chicken for 2 minutes on each side, then transfer to the oven and finish cooking the chicken through, 8 to 10 minutes. While the chicken cooks, start the recipe for Prosciutto-Wrapped Endive and Radicchio, page 193.
• Shortly before serving, warm the milk over medium heat in a small pot. Add the cheese and melt it into the milk. If using dried sage, stir it into the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• To serve, place the chicken on plates and pour a couple of spoons of the Gorgonzola sauce over the center of each piece. Garnish with chopped fresh sage, if using.

CHICKEN SCALLOPINE WITH HAZELNUT-CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove tenderloins from chicken breast halves. Slice each chicken breast half on diagonal into 4 cutlets. Place cutlets and tenderloins between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Using mallet, pound each piece to about 1/3-inch thickness. Sprinkle pounded chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to skillet and sauté until lightly browned and cooked through, about 11/2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate; cover to keep warm. Add shallot to same skillet and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Pour in Madeira and bring to boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add cream; boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in hazelnuts. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

ROASTED HAZELNUTS WITH THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
• Roast nuts in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan in oven until nuts have a toasted aroma and skins are very dark, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 30 minutes, then, if desired, rub in a kitchen towel to remove any loose skins.
• Heat nuts with thyme in oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, shaking skillet, just until hot. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.

SPICED HAZELNUT-PEAR CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Poach the pears:
• Peel pears. Using a 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon or small melon baller, scoop upward from bottom of pears 1 1/2-2" to remove core and seeds; discard. Combine pears, wine, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and 3 cups water in a large, heavy pot. Cut a round of parchment to fit just inside pot and cover pears.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, turning pears occasionally to coat with liquid, until pears are very tender but not falling apart, 20-25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to a large bowl and cover with parchment round.
• Bring poaching liquid to a boil, then cook over medium heat until reduced to the consistency of thick syrup, 12-15 minutes (you should have 1/2 cup). Transfer 5 pears to a medium bowl, reserving remaining pears for cake, and pour syrup over. Cover with parchment and let cool, or chill overnight.
• Bake the cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease cake pan with butter and line bottom with parchment paper.
• Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Pulse 1/2 cup dry ingredients and 3/4 cup hazelnuts in a food processor until hazelnuts are chopped into a fine flour; reserve remaining hazelnuts. Transfer chopped hazelnuts to bowl with dry ingredients.
• Wipe out food processor bowl and add 5 poached pears. Pulse until smooth. Transfer 2 cups to a small bowl; discard leftover purée.
• Beat brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and 3/4 cup butter on medium-high speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape down bowl and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add half of pear purée and beat on low speed. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low to incorporate. Beat in remaining pear purée and flour mixture until combined. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake cake, rotating sheet halfway through, until center is set and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool.
• Assemble the cake:
• Turn chilled pears in liquid to coat, then transfer liquid (about 1/2 cup) to a small saucepan. Add chocolate and 3/4 cup cream and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, just until chocolate is melted. Whisk to combine, then transfer to a medium bowl. Chill, stirring occasionally so chocolate doesn't set, until room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Remove cake from pan, trim top with a serrated knife if domed, and invert onto a 12" platter. Remove parchment. Using a toothpick, poke holes all over top of cake. Using a pastry brush, brush top with 1/4 cup chocolate sauce.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop remaining 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts. Whip remaining 3/4 cup cream to medium-soft peaks in stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
• Top cake with whipped cream, pears, and hazelnuts. Drizzle chocolate sauce over pears. Serve remaining chocolate sauce alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Cake and pears can be made 2 days ahead; cover in separate containers and chill.

SPICY HAZELNUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Purée nuts with water, garlic, salt, cilantro, vinegar, and cayenne in a blender or food processor until smooth. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream, blending until emulsified.