Nucato - Spiced Honey Nut Crunch

by Lady Scholastica Joycors - The Culinary Bard

This is a recipe I made for 12th Night last year and it along with my other brittle's won the Culinary Competition. There are so many nuts in it they only thing holding together is the honey brittle cooked to a crispy finish. I also love flattening the hot sugar with a half of lemon or orange to keep from burning your hands. This nucato is related to the delicious nougat noir ("black nougat") still made in the southern French town of Sisteron

Original:

Dele mele bullito co le noci, detto nucato. Togli mele bullito e schlumato, con le noci unpoco peste e spezie cottte insieme: bagnati la palma de la mano coll'acqu et estendilo: lassa freddare a dil a mangiare. E puoi ponere mandole e avellane in luogo di noci .

(Libro della cucina del secolo XIV, 14th Century Italian)

Ingredients

3 cups honey (1 kg)

2 1/4 pounds shelled almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts (1 kg)

1 lemon for spreading the mixture

For the spice mixture:

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

1 rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 teaspoon ground cloves or nutmeg

Preparation

1. Gradually bring the honey to the boil, skimming off any impurities that may rise to the surface.

2. Chop the nuts very coarsely and add to the honey along with 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture.

3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 30 to 45 minutes this will be the hard crack stage on a candy thermometer. The mixture is done when you can hear the almonds beginning to "pop" from the heat of the honey. Take care not to let the nuts burn and turn dark and bitter. When done, stir in the remaining spice mixture this helps from scorching the nuts..

4. When the nucato is done, pour it out onto a sheet pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper; spread it into an even layer with the cut surface of a halved lemon. Cool completely before serving.

Redaction from The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy by Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, Silvano