Macadamia

Ingredients

Nuts

• 800 gmacadamias in shell, or 400 g raw shelled kernels
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 1 tbspmacadamia oil, only if salting

Salted and roasted

• 400 graw kernels
• 1 tbspwater
• 1.5 tspfine salt

Honey and lemon myrtle macadamias

• 400 graw kernels
• 2 tbsphoney
• ½ tspground lemon myrtle
• ½ tspflaky salt

Equipment

• a proper macadamia nutcracker or a hammer and a hard surface
• a heavy baking tray

Directions

1. If starting in shell, dry the nuts first: spread them in a single layer somewhere warm and airy for two weeks, which shrinks the kernel slightly away from the shell and makes cracking possible at all.
2. Crack the shells with a dedicated macadamia cracker or a sharp hammer blow on the seam. The shell needs about 300 newtons of force and is one of the hardest of any nut, so a standard lever nutcracker will simply break.
3. Pick over the kernels, discarding any that are shrivelled, dark or smell of paint, which indicates rancidity; the very high oil content, around 75 per cent, means macadamias go off faster than most nuts.
4. Heat the oven to 150°C (300°F). A low oven is essential, because macadamia oil scorches easily and a hot oven browns the outside while the centre stays raw and squeaky.
5. For salted nuts, toss the kernels with 1 tbsp of water and the salt so the salt sticks, then spread them in a single layer on the tray.
6. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the tray every 5 minutes, until the kernels are a pale even biscuit colour. Judge by colour and smell, not time; they go from perfect to burnt in about 90 seconds.
7. Take them out while they are a shade paler than you want, because they carry on cooking on the hot tray, then tip them straight onto a cold tray to arrest it.
8. Cool completely before tasting: a hot macadamia is soft and disappointing, and the signature dense, creamy crunch only appears once it is at room temperature. Store airtight, and in the fridge or freezer beyond a fortnight.

Technique

• Macadamia is one of very few native Australian plants to become a global commercial crop, originating in the subtropical rainforests of southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales, where Aboriginal people knew it as kindal kindal, bauple and gyndl.
• Almost all commercial trees worldwide descend from a handful of Australian seeds taken to Hawaii in the 1880s, which is why the nut is so often associated with Hawaii rather than its actual homeland.
• The oil content is the highest of any nut, which is why they taste buttery and why they turn rancid quickly. Buy them vacuum sealed and keep them cold.
• Macadamias are toxic to dogs even in small quantities, causing weakness and tremors, so keep the bowl off the coffee table.

Substitutions

• No in-shell nuts: buy raw shelled kernels, which is what almost everyone does; make sure they are raw rather than pre-roasted if you plan to season them.
• For the honeyed version, golden syrup can replace honey and gives a slightly more caramel result.
• Macadamia oil, which has a high smoke point and a mild flavour, is a useful substitute for a neutral oil in native Australian cooking.

Variations

• Macadamia and white chocolate cookies are the standard Australian bakery use.
• Crushed macadamia with lemon myrtle makes a crust for roasted pumpkin, cauliflower or a round of soft cheese.
• Macadamia butter, blitzed for 5 minutes in a food processor with a pinch of salt, needs no added oil at all.

History

Australia’s only native food crop grown commercially worldwide; seeds taken to Hawaii in 1882 built the industry there decades before Australia’s.

Frequently asked questions

What is Macadamia?

Macadamia is a snack from Australia: rich buttery native nut in a rock-hard shell, roasted, salted or in biscuits. Australia’s only native food crop grown commercially worldwide; seeds taken to Hawaii in 1882 built the industry there decades before Australia’s.

How long does Macadamia take to make?

Macadamia takes 20 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 400 g roasted nuts. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Macadamia?

Yes, within limits. No in-shell nuts: buy raw shelled kernels, which is what almost everyone does; make sure they are raw rather than pre-roasted if you plan to season them. For the honeyed version, golden syrup can replace honey and gives a slightly more caramel result. Macadamia oil, which has a high smoke point and a mild flavour, is a useful substitute for a neutral oil in native Australian cooking.

What is the most important thing to get right in Macadamia?

Almost all commercial trees worldwide descend from a handful of Australian seeds taken to Hawaii in the 1880s, which is why the nut is so often associated with Hawaii rather than its actual homeland.