email this pageEvonne Bjornen and her husband, Paul Tallett, own a macadamia nut farm near Hilo on Hawaii’s Big Island. The Bjornen farm has trees on approximately 22 of its 25 acres, with 90 or so trees an acre. The trees originated in Australia and were imported to Hawaii in 1890. There the climate, with an average annual rainfall of 120 inches a year, is perfect for the tall lush trees, which bloom year round.
Like fine wine and cheese, macadamia nuts are aged to perfection. Unlike other nuts, macadamia nuts are never plucked or shaken from the tree. Instead these buttery-rich nuts are allowed to fall to the ground naturally. And this can take some time, as the average tree grown from seed takes almost nine years to produce nuts.
During the harvest, which begins in June and ends just shy of the New Year, nuts are collected off the ground by hand or by machine and are transported to a processing plant where their husks are stripped off. While still in their shells, the nuts are dried to reduce their moisture content. This causes the nuts to shrink away from the insides of their shells, making them easier to shell.
These nuts are so rich that a little goes a long way. While they contain the highest percentage of fat of any nut, most of it is the heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fat. Macadamia nut oil, with its mild but distinctive flavor, makes an excellent cooking oil, and the nuts themselves, while expensive, are great to cook with and eat out of hand.
Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bars
Ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
Caramel and Chocolate:
¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks)
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1½ cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate morsels
2. To prepare the crust, combine flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process about 10 seconds to combine thoroughly. Add butter and process until mixture is crumbly, about 30 seconds. Transfer crumbs to prepared pan and press firmly to make a compact layer. Scatter nuts evenly over crust and press them in firmly.
3. To prepare the caramel layer, melt butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over low heat. Add brown sugar and stir well until thoroughly combined and smooth. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until entire surface of caramel is bubbly. Immediately pour hot caramel over nuts and spread evenly with back of a metal spoon. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until caramel is bubbly.
4. Remove pan from oven. Wait 1 minute; sprinkle chocolate morsels evenly over caramel. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes for chocolate to melt. Spread chocolate evenly with spatula or back of a metal spoon. Cool completely, then refrigerate 30 minutes to set. Cut into bars with a sharp knife. Makes 36 bars.
Recipe by Greg Patent, "Relish America's Harvest," Sept. 2006.
Red Snapper with Mango Salsa
Ingredients
1 lime, juice and zest
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 small jalapeño chile, seeded and diced
¼ cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley or cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
¼ cup diced red bell pepper
Macadamia-Crusted Fish:
4 (6-ounce) fresh red snapper fillets (or other firm white fish)
½ teaspoon salt
2 ounces macadamia nuts
¾ cup panko crumbs
2 eggs
2 teaspoons water
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2. To prepare the fish, sprinkle with salt. Place macadamia nuts and panko in the bowl of a food processor; process until nuts are finely ground. Place mixture in a shallow dish. Place eggs and water in a shallow bowl; whisk well. Sprinkle flour over a sheet of wax paper. Dredge fish in flour; dip in egg mixture; dredge in macadamia mixture, pressing gently to make crumbs adhere.
3. Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish; reduce heat to medium, and cook about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Serve with salsa. Serves 4.
Recipe by Greg Patent, "Relish America's Harvest," Sept. 2006.
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