12 Recipes Using Nutmeg

INGREDIENTS

• 800g sweet potato
• 500g carrot
• 6 tbsp double cream
• good grating nutmeg
• small pinch cinnamon
• large handful fresh breadcrumbs
• olive oil

METHOD

1. Put the veg in a large pan, cover with water and bring to the boil, then put a lid on the pan and cook for 15 mins until really tender. Drain and leave to steam-dry for a few mins. Once completely dry, return to the pan and mash with the cream, nutmeg, cinnamon and plenty of seasoning. Transfer the mash to an ovenproof gratin dish, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and drizzle with a little olive oil. Can be made the day before and chilled.
2. Bake at 220C/200C fan/gas 7 for 35 mins until the top is golden and crunchy, and the mash is piping hot

INGREDIENTS

• 50g butter
• ½ onion
• 2 corn, sliced from 2 large cobs
• pinch sugar
• a good grating nutmeg

METHOD

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add onion, cook gently for 8-10 mins to soften, then add the corn and 4 tbsp water. Stir and cover, cook for 10-12 mins until the corn is tender, then add sugar, some seasoning and nutmeg.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g pack shortcrust pastry
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 4 large eggs
• 140g golden caster sugar
• 300ml double cream
• 300ml whole milk
• 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out

METHOD

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll the pastry out to about 1cm thick, then grate over a dusting of nutmeg using a fine grater. Fold the dough in half, then roll out again, to the thickness of 2 x £1 coins and large enough to line a 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tin with some overhang. Press the pastry into the tin (leaving the excess draped over the sides), put onto a baking sheet and chill for 10 mins. Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 20 mins, then remove beans and paper. Bake for another 15 mins until golden and sandy all over. Trim the edges of the tart with a sharp serrated knife.
2. Turn oven down to 150C/130C fan/ gas 2. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Put the cream, milk, vanilla pod and seeds into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour onto the eggs, whisking as you go. Sieve into a jug. Put the baking sheet onto the pulled-out oven rack, then pour in the custard, right to the top. You may not need every last drop. Grate over a nice layer of nutmeg, then slide gently back into the oven and bake for 1 hr. When it’s ready, the tart should be set and pale golden on the top, and have just the merest tremor in the centre when you jiggle the tray. Cool completely, then serve in slices

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large turnip
• 1 small butternut squash, cut into chunks
• 2 medium potatoes
• 2 tbsp milk
• 50g butter
• good grating nutmeg

METHOD

1. Put the vegetables in a large pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins or until the vegetables are very tender, then drain.
2. Leave the vegetables to steam dry in a colander for a few mins, then return to the pan. Add the milk, butter and nutmeg, then season. Crush the vegetables to a chunky mash and serve.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup arborio or carnaroli rice
• Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup), plus more shaved for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan; keep warm over medium-low heat until ready to use.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden and very soft, 8–10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until it darkens slightly and begins to stick to pan, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and nutmeg, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the tomatoes begin to burst, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in rice; season with salt and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring, until some grains are translucent, about 3 minutes. Ladle in 2 cups broth and simmer, stirring frequently, until completely absorbed, 8–10 minutes. Ladle in another 2 cups broth and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until rice is cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, 12–15 minutes.
4. Add butter, 2 oz. Parmesan, and remaining 1 cup broth and cook, stirring constantly, until risotto is very creamy looking, about 4 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Divide risotto among bowls. Top with shaved Parmesan and lots of pepper and drizzle with more oil.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp. ground cardamom
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 12 untrimmed lamb rib chops (about 3 lb.), patted dry
• Kosher salt
• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. sumac

Ingredient Info

• Sumac, a tart, citrusy spice generally sold in ground form, can be found at Middle Eastern markets, specialty food stores, and online

METHOD

1. Mix yogurt, black pepper, coriander, cumin, paprika, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
2. Season both sides of lamb chops generously with salt and add to bowl with marinade. Turn lamb in marinade to coat; cover and chill at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.
3. Let lamb sit at room temperature 1 hour before grilling.
4. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Grill lamb to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest 5–10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, toss onion, parsley, lemon juice, and sumac with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.
6. Serve lamb chops with parsley salad spread on top

INGREDIENTS

Béchamel

• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 oz. Parmesan, grated (about ½ cup)
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Kosher salt

Assembly

• 2 bunches green Swiss chard
• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 lb. whole-milk fresh ricotta
• Kosher salt
• 1 lb. fresh pasta sheets (about 16 6×4″ pieces) or 12 oz. dried jumbo shells (about 30)
• 2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
• Grated Parmesan (for sprinkling

METHOD

Béchamel

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture smells slightly nutty, about 3 minutes. Whisk in milk, then increase heat to medium-high. Whisking constantly, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook just until thick and no longer floury tasting, 8–10 minutes. Add Parmesan and whisk until melted, then whisk in cayenne and nutmeg; season with salt. Cover béchamel and keep warm until ready to use.
2. Do Ahead: Béchamel can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat over medium-low, whisking constantly and adding a splash of water if needed to loosen.

Assembly

1. Remove ribs and stems from Swiss chard leaves and thinly slice. Tear leaves into large pieces. Combine oil and sausage with Swiss chard ribs and stems in a large skillet and set over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking up sausage with a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon into small pieces, until sausage is almost cooked through, 5–7 minutes.
2. Add Swiss chard leaves to skillet a handful at a time, tossing and letting them wilt slightly between additions, until all the leaves have been added. Cook, reducing heat as needed (liquid should be bubbling slightly at this point), until liquid is almost completely evaporated (it’s important to dry out the Swiss chard here so the filling isn’t soggy), about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Let cool 5 minutes, then stir in ricotta. Season filling with salt.
3. If using pasta sheets, cook in a pot of boiling salted water 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water and let cool, about 30 seconds. Lay out a row of pasta sheets on a rimmed baking sheet (don’t overlap), then top with a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Repeat with remaining pasta sheets, placing sheets of paper between each layer.
4. If using shells, cook in a pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, just until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package instructions; rinse under cold water to cool quickly.
5. Preheat oven to 375°. Spread half of béchamel into a 13×9″ baking dish. If using pasta sheets, lay out a sheet on a clean surface with a short end facing you. Spoon a heaping ¼-cupful of filling so it runs all the way down the centre. Roll pasta around filling to create a 1¼”-diameter tube (the pasta will overlap quite a bit). Repeat with remaining pasta sheets, arranging in baking dish as you go to create 2 rows. If using shells, spoon a heaping tablespoonful of filling into each shell and nestle next to each other to create rows (you’ll have about 5 rows of 6 shells each). Spread remaining béchamel over cannelloni, then marinara sauce. Top with Parmesan.
6. Bake cannelloni until edges of pasta are lightly browned and sauce is bubbling around edges of pan, 30–40 minutes.
7. Do Ahead: Filling can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool completely, then cover and chill

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef chuck (20% fat), patted dry
• Kosher salt
• 3 oz. thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• ⅓ cup tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of finely grated nutmeg
• 2 cups (or more) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 lb. fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle, or dry rigatoni
• 2 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about ½ cup), plus more for serving

METHOD

1. Pulse onion, celery, and carrot in a food processor until very finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium. Break beef into small clumps (about 1½”) and add to pot; season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally but not breaking meat apart, until beef is lightly browned but not crisp, 6–8 minutes. It may be gray in spots (that’s okay!) and still a little pink in the center. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a medium bowl.
3. Wipe out pot. Cook pancetta in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pancetta has released some of its fat and is crisp, 6–8 minutes. Add onion mixture to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and beginning to stick to surface, 6–8 minutes.
4. Return beef to pot and pour in wine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, smashing down on beef with a wooden spoon, until wine is evaporated, surface of pot is almost dry, and meat is finely ground, 12–15 minutes. (The meat should be reduced to what looks like little bits. It takes a bit of effort, but you can take breaks.) Add tomato paste, bay leaf, and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally and still pressing down on meat, until tomato paste is slightly darkened, about 5 minutes.
5. Pour stock and milk into pot; add a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until meat is very, very tender, 2–2½ hours. There shouldn’t be any rapid bubbles at this stage. Instead, the sauce should release the occasional small bubble or two. When finished, the sauce should have the texture of and look like a sloppy joe mixture. If the liquid reduces before the meat is completely tender, add an extra ½ cup stock and continue cooking. Discard bay leaf. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt; keep warm.
6. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. If using fresh pasta, cook about 3 minutes. If using dry, cook until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.
7. Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid and ½ cup Parmesan. Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
8. Transfer pasta to a platter and top with more Parmesan.
9. Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill