Pecans + Sweden; Savoury Swedish Pecan Balls

Difficulty:

1/5

Ease of Preparation: Medium

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

Savoury Pecan Balls:

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 cups (470 ml) pecan pieces, toasted
¾ cup (180 ml) panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
½ cup (120 ml) chopped parsley
2 teaspoons (10 ml) Marmite
¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) nutmeg
¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) allspice

Gravy:

Handful dried porcinis
1 sprig rosemary
1 cup (240 ml) vegetable stock
2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter
2 tablespoons (30 ml) flour
1 cup (240 ml) whipping cream
3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce
Pepper

To Finish:

Oil, for frying
Lingonberry jam
Chopped parsley
Optional: mashed potatoes

Method:

For the Savoury Pecan Balls:

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and sauté 3-4 minutes, until starting to brown. Set aside to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cooked onions, pecans, panko, egg, tomato paste, parsley, marmite, nutmeg, and allspice. Pulse, scraping down the sides, until a thick dough has formed. Do not over-process.

Use a 1-ounce (30 ml) ice cream scoop to form even portions, then roll portions between oiled palms to make neat balls. Chill for 1 hour.

Make the Gravy:

Bring the veg stock, dried porcinis, and rosemary to a boil, remove from heat and let steep, covered for 30 minutes.

In a skillet, melt the butter and whisk in the flour and cook, continuing to whisk, for 1 minute.

Strain the porcini-vegetable stock through a very fine mesh into the butter-flour mixture, taking care to avoid any grit. Whisk to combine. Reserve the rehydrated mushrooms for another use (or discard).

Add the cream and soy sauce, season with pepper.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick.

Keep warm.

To Finish:

Heat oil in a heavy skillet and shallow fry the Savoury Pecan Balls in batches, 2-3 minutes per batch, until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve hot with the Gravy and lingonberry jam and garnished with chopped parsley.

Optional: for a hearty meal, serve with mashed potatoes!