Nutmeg is a tropical fruit. It grows in Southeast Asia. The spice nutmeg is used in so many culinary dishes: meats, seafood, salads, homemade sausages, baked goods, desserts, teas and coffee.
Nutmeg is a dried seed without the skin. A special smokeless fire is used to dry it. On an industrial scale, nutmeg is grown on the island of Mauritius and on the islands of the Malay Archipelago, in Brazil, the West Indies, and Sri Lanka. The aroma of the nut is warm and sweetish, slightly pungent and sometimes bitter. In order for the nut to develop a spicy aroma, it should be grated or chopped with a sharp knife.
Nutmeg goes very well with meat and fish dishes. Also add it to the minced meat. It will be an excellent seasoning for stuffed chicken, duck, pork, lamb, beef stew, liver pate, veal. In these dishes, the amount of grated nutmeg can vary from 15 to 60 grams. Use nuts with mushroom dishes, especially those that are cooked in the oven.
If you cook vegetable dishes, keep in mind that nutmeg goes well with potatoes, beans, spinach, sorrel, onions, celery, as well as white cabbage, cauliflower, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi. Approximate amount of nutmeg for vegetable dishes and salads: 50-60 grams.
Use nutmeg in small amounts in curd, cheese, and rice dishes. The spice goes well with vegetable and chicken soups, broths and puree soups. Also add shredded walnuts to scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs, and other egg dishes. You can season cereal and flour dishes with nutmeg: pancakes, noodles, pancakes, pies, dumplings, and so on. In such dishes, the content of nutmeg can be small: from 20 to 30 grams.
When baking chocolate muffins, cakes, creams, puddings, cookies, cakes, pies, waffles, nutmeg will add a spicy and wonderful flavor. Also use it when preparing desserts from baked apples, apricots, plums. The spice is very popular in unusual drinks and cocktails: mulled wine, aperitif, tomato juice, lemonade, punch, cocoa and even milkshakes.
In any flour products, put nutmeg at the time of kneading the dough, and add to sauces during cooking. The total amount of nutmeg per serving should not exceed one gram. This is approximately equal to three pinches of crushed walnut. Store nutmeg in a cool, dry place, not in the refrigerator.
The composition of nutmeg fruits includes essential oil, geraniol, camphene, eugenol, pinene, terpineone, dipentene, fatty oil, vitamins A, C, B, B1 and various trace elements.
