Patricia Wells' Sauteed Potatoes with Garlic and Walnut Oil (from Bistro Cookbook) is delicious: http://www.food.com/recipe/bistro-potatoes-sauteed-with-garlic-walnut-oil-372006
I know you said besides salad dressing, but a green salad tossed with a dressing of walnut oil/dijon/sherry vinegar/s&p and topped with ripe pear slices and shards of good Parmigiano Reggiano has been a go-t for me for decades. So good.
A small drizzle of walnut oil is also lovely on a bowl of a simple pureed winter squash soup (butternut and/or acorn squash or pumpkin or even sweet potato.) So is toasted pumpkin seed oil, which I also highly recommend!
It's great on lentils and beans and my go-to whenever I cook fresh cranberry beans. Drain the lentils or beans when they are done and add the walnut oil while they are still warm. I press down on the beans, crushing them a bit to help get the flavor of the oil into them.
I love using it to finish seafood when paired with a sauce that might have some citrus to it. Also, think about using it in lieu of olive oil in a non-basil pesto/pistou. Mix it with a higher smoking fat when making crepes, and it should add a lovely toasted note.
Use it to layer flavor in baked goods. Not so much as the primary fat, but yes as a finishing garnish to things like baklava or other desserts with nuts in them.
Good with blue cheese (in a crepe filling) or hard cheese, as a finishing oil, perhaps with some herbs or dried fruit scattered on top.
With apple, carrot, pear - raw or cooked.
Hope these ideas help.
Brilliant purchase. My favorite use is with toasted walnuts, sautéed greens (usually chard or kale) and garlic, pasta and pecorino cheese. Some will probably suggest reserving it for uncooked applications or "finishing," but it can really shine with some gentle heat in this dish. Sautéing the greens in walnut oil makes a whole that is so much more than the sum of the parts.
8 Comments
I know you said besides salad dressing, but a green salad tossed with a dressing of walnut oil/dijon/sherry vinegar/s&p and topped with ripe pear slices and shards of good Parmigiano Reggiano has been a go-t for me for decades. So good.
A small drizzle of walnut oil is also lovely on a bowl of a simple pureed winter squash soup (butternut and/or acorn squash or pumpkin or even sweet potato.) So is toasted pumpkin seed oil, which I also highly recommend!
Good with blue cheese (in a crepe filling) or hard cheese, as a finishing oil, perhaps with some herbs or dried fruit scattered on top.
With apple, carrot, pear - raw or cooked.
Hope these ideas help.