French inspiration for pesto – Lawrence Murphy
The area famous for cave paintings is also well known for its important culinary treats such as duck, goose, walnuts and truffles.
The Dordogne is known as a foodie destination and was therefore a great place for me to start to learn the art of cooking.
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Hide AdOne of the many dishes served – in the hotel used walnuts which the head chef would make me roast and then scrape off the skins.
At first I could not understand why I had to do this laborious job until I tasted the difference.
An unpeeled walnut can be bitter and not that appetising compared to a toasted and skinned one that is sweet and creamy.
The taste almost resembles a cashew nut and it’s something that has stuck in my head. Be patient with this recipe because you’ll get a fantastic result that is great with pasta or grilled oily fish.
Ingredients
150g walnuts
Clove garlic chopped
30ml olive oil
Small bunch parsley chopped
50g parmesan (optional)
Method
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Hide Ad1. Roast the walnuts in a pre-heated oven 200C gas 6 for 10 to 12 mins until turning light brown.
2. Allow to cool and with a small sharp knife scrape away the skins.
3. Put the walnuts into a liquidiser along with the other ingredients and blitz until smooth.
4. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.