Nocino
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Recently I hosted several Sacramento area food bloggers over for a potluck. Late in the afternoon, after most of the guests had left and the die hards remained, I pulled out some nocino, a spicy, sweet, slightly bitter walnut liqueur that I made a couple years ago to share with the group. The recipe comes from our favorite Parisian man-about-town David Lebovitz, from his terrific book, Room For Dessert.
Regarding nocino. It's an Italian liqueur made with unripe walnuts, still soft in their green husks. The time to make nocino is in late May, early June, when the shells have still not yet hardened. I've never seen green walnuts at any market, easier to find a friend with a walnut tree. You can also make green walnut pickles with the nuts, and even vin de noix or walnut wine.
Nocino Recipe
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The juice from the walnuts will permanently stain anything it touches, so you might want to wear gloves while cutting them. Wash down the cutting board as soon as you are done cutting the walnuts.
Ingredients
- 30 green walnuts, early enough in the season so that they are easily cut with a knife
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 5 whole cloves
- 1-inch piece of vanilla bean
- Zest of one lemon, cut into strips using a vegetable peeler
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 liter vodka
Other recipes I've found use orange peel instead of lemon, use spices such as mace, or include grappa. The next time I make nocino I may try the orange peel and even add a little star anise.
Method
1 Rinse and pat dry the walnuts. Cut them into quarters with a sharp chef's knife or cleaver. Be careful as you are cutting them; if you've waited too late in the season to pick them, their shells may have begun to harden and cutting through them may be a little dicey. Watch your fingers.
2 Put walnuts, spices, zest, sugar, and vodka into a large glass container. The vodka should cover the walnuts. Cover and shake to mix well. Store for 6 weeks, shaking daily. As the days go by you will notice that the color of the nocino gets darker and darker.
3 When you are ready to bottle, remove the walnuts and solids with a slotted metal spoon. (Again be careful where you do this as the walnuts and the nocino will stain.) Strain the liquid through several layers of cheesecloth into glass bottles. (I've seen recipes that call for straining the liquid through coffee filters which I think would work fine too.) Cork tightly. According to David, nocino will last for several years if stored in a cool, dry place.
Makes about 1 quart. Great for gifts.
Recipe published with permission from David Lebovitz's fabulous Room For Dessert.
Links:
Making nocino - photo by Garrett of the work in progress
Andrea's notes on the nocino making process
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So wish I had been in town for the blogger party. Next time...