Hazelnuts + Dried Figs + Olive Oil + Garlic + Anchovies = Anchoïade Niçoise
Anchoïade Niçoise was included in a little complementary cookbook I received when I purchased my first Cuisinart® Food Processor. It was also the first recipe I made by James Beard.
Because Beard is from Oregon, it’s fitting that he would choose hazelnuts, or filberts as he called them, instead of almonds or walnuts.
The foods from Southeastern France are known for their bold flavors, and what could be more bold than garlic, anchovies and olive oil? No shy wallflowers are they! What’s amazing in this combination is that none of them are able to stand out over the other. Now that’s teamwork!
Anchoïade Niçoise
Adapted from a James Beard recipe
This spread will intrigue your guests as they try to guess what the ingredients are. Serve it as a topping on toasted, garlic-buttered bruschetta.
- ⅔ cup (160 ml.) toasted filbert nuts
- 1 cup (240 ml.) dried figs, stemmed and quartered
- 1 2-oz. (56.75 gr.) can anchovy fillets with oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup (60 ml.) olive oil
- With the metal blade in place, add the filberts to beaker. Process until finely chopped.
- Without removing nuts, add figs, anchovies with oil, and garlic. Process, turning on and off, until very finely chopped and beginning to purée.
- Continue processing and slowly add oil through feed tube to make a smooth paste.
“To skin hazelnuts, spread them on a jelly roll pan and bake at 350° F (177° C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the skins parch and begin to flake off. Then wrap them in a towel and let them stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, working with a small amount of the nuts at a time, place them on a large, coarse towel (I use a terrycloth bath towel). Fold part of the towel over to enclose the nuts. Rub firmly against the towel, or hold that part of the towel between both hands and rub back and forth. The handling and the texture of the towel will cause most of the skins to flake off. Pick out the nuts and discard the skins. Don’t worry about the few little pieces of skin that may remain.”
Maida Heatter in Brand-New Book of Great Cookies
Makes about 1½ cups
A dry sparkling white or rosé would be nice with these.
Bon appétit
— Charles
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PDFCategory: Appetizers
About the Author (Author Profile)
Music, food and photography are at the center of Charles’ life. He performed with the Dallas Symphony, Dallas Opera and was assistant principal bassoonist with the Fort Worth Symphony for more than 20 years. When Charles and Victor moved to Baltimore, Charles created Lone Star Personal Chef and Catering Service and taught cooking classes at Williams-Sonoma. Now in Salem, Charles is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Mountain West Real Estate, taught cooking classes for children at the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village, and owns and operates Charles Price Photography. Charles and Vic enjoy entertaining and frequently host dinners as fundraisers for local non-profits and charities
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When Charles or Victor tell me to try something, I just trust and taste! Guessing the ingredients of this spread is a great party game ( especially when combined with the previously touted melon martinis!) This appetizer will delight and amaze your guests. It was delicious.
I’m going to try soaking the figs in hot water first to reconstitute them. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the recipe. I love these kind of recipes where all you have to do is look at the list of ingredients and you know it will be good.