Vinaigrettes:Using Nut Butters instead of Nut Oils?

Monita is a recipe tester for Food52.

added 6 months ago

I've never made a vinaigrette this way but from recipes I've seen, you could make a very nice creamy vinaigrette with a nut paste. Put together your vinaigrette base first and stir in the nut paste. Make a paste with a 1/2 cup of nuts -- in a mortar/pestle if you have one. Stir in a little at a time until you get the texture/taste you seek

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Sadassa_Ulna added 6 months ago

I've never tried it either. I wonder if it would help to grind the nuts a day in advance so the oil could separate out from the solids. Then you could use straight nut oil no evoo or canola. The solids left behind could be added to cookies or bread or hummus, etc. Just a thought, please post your results!

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LE BEC FIN added 6 months ago

ulna, yes! but>> i have a feeling that the reason the good nut oils are so expensive- is that it takes a TON of nuts to yield a little nut oil.
And yes, monita, that's how i would do it as well. I think a hazelnut or almond version would be nice on a beet salad at least.

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Chris is a trusted source on General Cooking

added 6 months ago

I've never tried it with nuts either, but dressing made with tahini--sort of the same thing with sesame seeds, are delicious. My first impulse was the same as Monita's to add the nut butter last. But then I thought it might be good to whisk it in to your vinegar etc. first and then slowly whisk in whatever extra olive or other oil you use. Like you say, it won't be like using a nut oil, but it could be very good.

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You can also try making your own "nut oil" by mashing some nuts with some olive oil either in a small food processor or hand blender. The texture will, of course, be a bit chunky, but you can get some of the nut flavor infused into oil

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