Roasted walnuts have a richer and deeper flavor than natural ones. Although it is often preferred to toast shelled walnuts, doing it without removing the shells, also considering how they are usually opened, could help you to better maintain the original walnut flavor.
Steps
Method 1 of 8: in the oven (shelled)
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 190 ° C
Line a tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper. You can also use anti-stick spray.
Step 2. Sprinkle the walnuts on the tray
The ideal thing would be to cut the walnuts in half or quarters. Whole pieces may not toast evenly, while smaller pieces may cook too quickly and burn. To ensure even cooking, spread them out to form a layer, without piling them up.
Step 3. Toast the walnuts until they turn brown
With the oven at 190 ° C, the walnuts should cook in 5 to 10 minutes, especially if they are cut into small pieces. Check them after 5 minutes to make sure they are not burning and, for even cooking, stir them with a kitchen spatula.
Step 4. Remove the walnuts from the oven and let them cool
When you smell roasted walnut, the walnuts are ready. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a bowl to cool. Enjoy them at room temperature or hot, as long as they are not hot when you touch them.
Method 2 of 8: Pan-fried (Shelled)
Step 1. Heat a large skillet
Place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Do not use oil, cooking spray or butter, all you need is dry heat, the walnut oil will be enough to cook them.
Step 2. Pour the walnuts into the pan
They usually cook better if you cut them in halves or quarters but, since it is easy to keep an eye on cooking while they are in the pan, you can also chop them. Try, however, not to cook the walnuts on top of each other or it will be difficult to toast them evenly.
Step 3. Stir regularly
This will ensure that all nuts are exposed to heat equally, ensuring a more even roasting and decreasing the risk of them burning. The best thing would be to stir constantly, but you can let the nuts rest for a while, as long as you never lose sight of them.
Step 4. Cook until brown
The walnuts should be ready in 5 minutes, but may take less time if the pieces are small. Once cooked, they will be a deep brown color and smell of toasted walnut.
Step 5. Take them off the heat
Once cooked, immediately remove the walnuts from the pan otherwise, on the hot surface, they will continue to cook. Put them in a cup or on a plate and let them cool until they reach the temperature you want to serve.
Method 3 of 8: Microwave (Shelled)
Step 1. Pour the walnuts into a microwave-safe glass cup
A pie plate is perfect, but any dish that can be used in the microwave is just fine. Add a layer of walnuts to cover the bottom of the dish, no more. For better cooking, cut them in half or quarters.
Step 2. Cook on full power for 1 minute
Check the walnuts to make sure they are not burning and stir them with a spatula to cook them evenly. If the microwave does not have a turntable, turn the plate with the nuts 180 degrees before continuing.
Step 3. Cook for another minute on full power
Smell them to see if they're ready. Cooked in this way, the walnuts will not turn brown, but you can smell the toasted walnut.
Step 4. If necessary, continue cooking at 20 second intervals
It is usually not necessary to do this after the first 2 minutes of cooking, but it may be necessary, especially if the nuts are large.
Step 5. Let cool before serving
Eating them directly would burn your mouth.
Method 4 of 8: Prepare the Nuts (In Shell)
Step 1. Check the shells for cracks or holes
While it may be tempting to choose walnuts with cracked shells, thinking it would be easier to shell them, it is important to know that cracked or holed shells do not protect the kernel as they should and, consequently, the likelihood that the nuts have rancid or have lost some of their flavor is higher.
Step 2. Rinse
Clean them using warm running water. Although the heat of cooking should disinfect the shell, from a health point of view it is always best to have a clean walnut. If there is an encrustation of dirt, remove it with a sponge and let the walnuts air dry before toasting them.
Step 3. Make a small "x" incision on the shell
With a sharp serrated knife, engrave a small "x" in one of the sides of the walnuts, this will make it easier to peel them. One of the reasons why many prefer to toast shelled walnuts, in fact, is because the shell hardens a little once heated.
Method 5 of 8: Baked Nuts (In Shell)
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 177 ° C
Line a tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Step 2. Spread a layer of walnuts on the tray
For even roasting, avoid piling them up. It is better to leave some space between the nuts, but they will cook evenly even if the shells touch. Make sure that the side with the "x" faces upwards so that the incision is not blocked by baking paper or another nut.
Step 3. Cook for 10 minutes
The walnuts must continue to cook until they smell good and until they turn brown. The shell should also begin to rise a little to the height of the "x". You may need to cook them for 15 minutes but 10 is often enough.
Step 4. Halfway through cooking, stir them
It is not necessary to do this, but mixing them guarantees a uniform and complete cooking. Make sure you use a spatula, the nuts will be too hot to touch, and check that none of the "x's" are blocked.
Method 6 of 8: pan-fried (with shell)
Step 1. Heat a large non-stick pan
Put it on medium or high heat and let it heat for five minutes or until it gets hot enough. Don't use cooking spray or oil, nuts contain enough to cook on their own.
Step 2. Pour the walnuts into the pan
Don't let them pile up, cook a single layer. It is better to start with the "x" side up, but it is not essential, the nuts will not stay in the same position for long anyway.
Step 3. Stir frequently
After a minute or two, start mixing the nuts. They can rest for intervals of about 30 seconds but, for the rest of the time, the nuts should move continuously to cook evenly and completely. Use a heat-resistant spatula.
Step 4. Remove the walnuts from the heat after 10 minutes
Cooking may take a little longer or a little less, it depends on the temperature that the pan is able to produce. As soon as the nuts start to smell and turn brown, they are ready to be removed from the heat. Make sure you remove them from the pan or they will continue to cook.
Method 7 of 8: Microwave (With Shell)
Step 1. Arrange a layer of walnuts on a microwave-safe cake plate
You can use any type of microwave plate, but a pie plate is useful because of the raised sides. Do not stack the walnuts, or the cooking will be uneven, and make sure that the side with the "x" is not covered by other shells and is not facing the bottom of the plate.
Step 2. Cook the walnuts in 1 minute intervals until cooked through
Cook at maximum power: it may take a few intervals to complete the roasting. The shell will not become dark as in the case of cooking in the oven or in a pan, but, once cooked, the nuts will smell and the shell should begin to open slightly at the "x".
Step 3. Between one interval and another, mix the walnuts
It will serve to ensure even cooking. Try not to cover the "x" s, but even if the toasting does happen it shouldn't be affected.
Method 8 of 8: Shell (With Shell)
Step 1. Allow the walnuts to cool a little
Roasted walnuts taste best when hot, so you shouldn't let them cool down to room temperature. The fact remains that, once cooked, they will be very hot and you could burn yourself. Wait until they are cool enough to hold them in your hand.
Step 2. Start removing the corners of the "x"
The shell should have started to open slightly at that point as the nuts cooked. Use your fingers and start with the raised corners around the "x", the rest of the shell may be more problematic but you may be able to shell the nuts using only your hands.
Step 3. Use a nutcracker only if necessary
In case the shell is too hard, use a nutcracker gently, as if the nuts are not toasted. Be careful, though, because a toasted walnut is more crumbly than a plain one and crumbles more easily.
Step 4. Rub the nuts with a towel
You can also use a piece of blotting paper. Scrub quickly to remove the shell remnants.
Step 5. Serve the walnuts still warm
You can store them in the refrigerator or freezer, but people generally prefer a warm roasted nut to a cold one.
