In this final part of my spice trilogy, I'm not quite saving the best until last, but I am perhaps saving the most versatile. Nutmeg is the spice that transcends cultures and cuisines, sweet and savoury, and takes the flavour-hungry cook from breakfast to dinner with its sweet, warming, pungent aroma.
Not surprisingly, such a miraculous spice has a history splattered with bloody rivalry – the gore shed over several centuries in its violent pursuit. Nutmeg is one of the two spices obtained from the beautiful, tropical evergreen tree, Myristica fragrans, the other being its lacy covering, or aril, mace. It is native tothe Banda Islands of the Indonesian archipelago, whose spicybounty was tussled over by thePortuguese, Spanish and Dutch,until the pragmatic French smuggled out a few seeds and planted them in Mauritius, thus breaking the Dutch monopoly.
Nutmeg was probably first brought to Europe by the Crusaders, though it wasn't until the 18th century that we really lost our heads over it (itcontains myristicin, which gives it its warmth and savour, and which can also, in huge quantities, have anarcotic effect). It became the heightof fashion to carry your own nutmeg around with you, along with a fancy silver grater, to scatter its sweet, aromatic and spicy gratings on everything from drinks to meat.
So much more than something to sprinkle on your cappuccino or hot chocolate, nutmeg's uses are almost too numerous to list. At breakfast time, it gives an added dimension to porridge, eggy bread or muesli. Later in the day, its pungency adds savour to all manner of savoury dishes. It softens spinach's slightly metallic edge, marries beautifully with creamy fried onions in the classic Alsatian tart, perks up cabbage and kale, adds depth to sweet carrots and squash, gives an added shot of subtle flavour to mash, and marries beautifully with charcuterie (see today's quatre-épices blend) and slow-cooked ragùs.
Of course, nutmeg's affinity with eggy, milky dishes is legendary; it's essential to perfect rice pudding and a béchamel sauce would be a poor thing indeed without a grating or two. It has an affinity for orchard or vine fruits – inwhich context it's more subtle and sophisticated than ubiquitous cinnamon: itsteals less from the fruit. So try some in an apple tart, with poached pears or in a cake bursting with juicydried fruits.
Writing this, I'm now thinking those 18th-century dandies were really on to something, so I'm off tocommission a gold nutmeg grater ona chunky chain. Nutmeg bling –you read it here first.
Quatre-épices
This classic French spice blend is used most often in charcuterie, particularly in pork terrines and sausages. If, however, you'd like asweet blend to add to gingerbread and other kinds of baking, for instance, simply replace the peppercorns with an equal amount of allspice and replace halfof the ginger with cinnamon. The finished mix will keep well in a dark place inan airtight container for a couple of months.
2 tbsp white or black peppercorns
1 tsp whole cloves
2½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1½ tsp ground ginger
In a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder, whizz the peppercorns andcloves to a fine powder, then mix with the nutmeg and ginger.
If you have neither the time, inclination nor equipment to makeyour own sausages, give thesesimple patties a go instead –they're the perfect, spicy addition toa special cooked breakfast. Youneed to make a start acouple ofdays before you want toeat them,but it's not as if there's agreatdeal of work involved. Makeseight to 10 patties.
750g coarsely minced pork (you want it fairly fatty – a mix of shoulder and belly isgood) or 600gpork shoulder, coarsely ground, plus 125g streaky bacon, veryfinely chopped
10g flaky sea salt (5g if you've used bacon rather than pork belly)
1 tsp quatre-épices (recipe above)
1 tsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
8 sage leaves, finely chopped
¼ tsp chilli flakes
50ml red wine
1 egg yolk
1-2 tbsp groundnut oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small handful sage leaves
1 bay leaf
Combine the first eight ingredients ina bowl, cover and refrigerate for two days. Then, when you want to cook your patties, mix in the egg yolk and break off a small piece. Frythis in a little oil, taste for seasoning, then add salt and pepperto the mix as necessary. Form into patties. Warm the oil in afrying pan over a medium-high heat, add the sage leaves and bay leaf, and fry the patties for about four minutes a side. Serve with friedeggs and toast.
Custard tart
This English classic is the perfect combination of soothing, creamy, eggy filling and warming, spicy nutmeg. Makes one large tart or six small ones.
125g unsalted butter, softened
90g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
250g plain flour, sieved
1 good pinch salt
1 egg yolk whisked with a little water, to glaze
For the filling
500ml double cream
100ml whole milk
1 vanilla pod, split
3 egg yolks
2 eggs
60g golden caster sugar
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, plus alittle more for grating over the topof the tart
To make the pastry, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and light, then gradually beat in theegg. Slowly beat in the flour andsalt. Assoon as you have acrumbly dough, tip it out on to alightly floured surface and form into a smooth, flattened disc. Wrapin clingfilm and chill for acouple of hours.
On a lightly floured surface, or between two sheets of greaseproof paper, roll out the pastry so that it'slarge enough to line, with some overhang, a 22cm loose-bottomed flan tin; or divide it into six and use to line six 10cm loose-bottomed flan tins. Don't trim it too closely at this stage, and reserve a little excess pastry for patching up gaps later. Lightly prick the base(s) all over with a fork, line with clingfilm or greaseproof paper, and fill with baking beans (or uncooked rice or dried pulses). Chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
Place the flan case(s) on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Carefully lift out the clingfilm or greaseproof paper and baking beans, and trim the edges with a sharp knife. Patch up any tears with the reserved pastry offcuts. Return the flan case(s) to the oven for five toeight minutes, or until it (they) just takes on some colour. Remove from the oven, brush with the egg wash and bake for another five minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 150C/300F/ gasmark 2.
Meanwhile, over a medium-low heat warm the cream and milk with the vanilla pod in a saucepan until bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. While the cream is heating up, beat together the egg yolks, whole eggs and sugar. Pour in the hot cream, stirring constantly, then strain through a sieve into a jug and stir in the nutmeg. Pour into the tartcase(s), grate over a little more nutmeg and place on a baking tray.
Bake until just set – they should still wobble a little in the middle: about 13-15 minutes for small tarts, 20-25 minutes for a large one. Serve at room temperature or cold.
