What You Need to Know
This technique involves slowly adding olive oil to a mixture of walnuts, garlic, and lemon juice while whisking, creating a stable emulsion through the formation of a complex network of lipids and proteins. The key variables are temperature, whisking speed, and oil addition rate. The optimal temperature for this process is between 15°C to 20°C.
This technique is unique in that it uses a combination of olive oil and walnuts to create a rich and creamy walnut sauce, commonly used in Ligurian dishes such as trofie al pesto.
Steps
- 1.
Trofie al Pesto di Noci (Liguria, Italy): Primary sauce component for pasta
- 2.
Salsa de Nuez (Oaxaca, Mexico): Base for mole-like sauces
- 3.
Juglans Sauce (Provence, France): Accompaniment for roasted meats
The Science
Primary Reaction
Lipid-Protein Complex Formation