Circassian Walnut Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups walnut halves
• 2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• 1 cup chicken broth, warm
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Method

1. 1

   Toast the walnut halves in a dry 9-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 4 to 5 minutes.

   4:00 · Toast walnuts
2. 2

   Tear the bread into pieces and soak in the warm chicken broth for 5 minutes until fully softened.

   5:00 · Soak bread
3. 3

   In a food processor, combine the toasted walnuts, soaked bread with its broth, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper.

4. 4

   Process until the mixture forms a smooth, thick paste, scraping down the sides as needed, about 2 minutes.

   2:00 · Process sauce
5. 5

   With the processor running, drizzle in additional broth or water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches a thick, pourable consistency similar to hummus.

6. 6

   Transfer the sauce to a bowl, stir in the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning, adjusting salt as needed.

7. 7

   In a small saucepan, warm the vegetable oil and paprika over low heat until fragrant and vividly red, about 1 minute, then remove from heat.

   1:00 · Warm paprika oil
8. 8

   Spoon the walnut sauce into a shallow serving dish and drizzle the paprika oil over the top just before serving.