Pounded Walnut Relish

Thanksgiving Herbs Spreads, Sauces, & Dips

The key to this sauce is making sure the walnuts are warm when you combine them with the shallot mixture so that they soak up the acidity as they cool. Pounding the walnuts as opposed to chopping them causes the nut meat to give up its oils and makes the sauce feel richer in your mouth.

By Abra Berens / Photography By Grant Beachy | August 21, 2018

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts, whole or pieces
½ small shallot (about 1 ounce)
½ lemon, zest and juice
1/8 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
½ bunch (about ½ cup) parsley leaves, chopped

Instructions

Yield: 1½ cups

Heat oven to 350°. Toast the walnuts until fragrant and golden brown (about 10 minutes).

Mince the shallot and combine with the lemon zest, juice, vinegar, olive oil and salt. Roughly chop the parsley.

When the walnuts are toasted, transfer them to a Ziploc bag while they are still warm. Smash the walnuts with the back of a frying pan until the walnuts are reduced to small crumbles. Combine the walnuts with the shallot mixture and let stand 10 minutes.

Add the parsley to the walnut mixture just before serving. The nut mixture (without the parsley) will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks; with the parsley, for 2 to 3 days.