There’s nothing like fresh-ground nutmeg. The pre-ground product is pallid in comparison.

You may use nutmeg in baking—custards and pumpkin pie, spice cakes and cookies—and it’s de rigueur in egg nog. But what about savory uses?

Following the demise of our decades-old nutmeg mill, we’ve been enjoying our new chrome nutmeg mill from William Bounds. We’ve been adding daily grinds of fresh nutmeg to coffee, eggs and greens.

We asked THE NIBBLE’s chef Johnny Gnall how he uses nutmeg. Here are his favorite uses, along with some musings on nutmeg:

Nutmeg is a bit of an unsung hero. It’s used in a surprisingly large number of recipes and dishes, but it’s rare that you notice it, especially up front on your palate. In fact, that’s kind of the point. Nutmeg is a spice often used to accent other flavors, the same way a recipe uses salt to bring out the flavor of other ingredients.

Nutmeg is often perceived as a “holiday spice,” but it’s delicious year-round. As with other spices, use it up as quickly as you can. Even a whole nutmeg in an airtight jar will dry out in a few years. If you’ve had the nutmeg for a while, pierce it with a pin. If you get a droplet of oil, the spice is still lively.

10 SAVORY SHOWCASES FOR NUTMEG

In desserts, nutmeg is often combined with allspice, cinnamon and clove. But nutmeg on its own is a pretty delicious flavor.

Nutmeg is also a strong flavor, so you only need it in very small doses. Even a pinch can pack a punch that will kick things up a notch.

Here are 10 ways to give new punch to your recipes with nutmeg. Remember to use it sparingly: Start with a tiny bit, taste often and pump the brakes as soon as its flavor gets to the front of your palate.

1. Bacon & Pork Belly
Bacon fans find it practically perfect in every way, virtually impossible to improve upon. It can be amplified, however. The next time you have a recipe with bacon as a primary ingredient (a quiche, perhaps?), try complementing it with a touch of nutmeg. Bacon and nutmeg are at very different ends of the flavor spectrum, but they share earthy roots. You may even start dusting your bacon strips!

2. Béchamel
A classic béchamel sauce is made with a dash of nutmeg early in the cooking process. In most fine-dining restaurants, béchamel is usually the start of mac ‘n cheese and other creamy pasta dishes. If you up the nutmeg just a touch, the new angle on a familiar flavor will surprise you. Just be sure to think ahead: If you are adding béchamel to a dish along with other cheeses or ingredients, be sure the flavors complement one another. Nutmeg doesn’t always play well with others (seafood, yes; mushrooms, not really).

4. Dough
Bread dough, cookie dough, pasta dough, pie/quiche dough: Any of these can benefit from the kick a little nutmeg supplies. As with béchamel, however, make sure that whatever else you are putting in or on that dough does not clash with nutmeg.

5. Goat Cheese & Burrata
Take ordinary goat cheese and add a pinch of nutmeg to make it extraordinary. Add the seasoned goat cheese to salads, use chunks to garnish soup or just spread it on a slice of toasted baguette. Along the same lines of cheese enhancement, go for pure indulgence with burrata: A tiny drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of nutmeg create fireworks in your mouth.

7. Lamb
Lamb is a protein that loves nutmeg—perhaps more than any other. If you season the meat with salt and just a teaspoon or so of nutmeg, as opposed to pepper, you will discover a delightful flavor profile. If you’re going to stew lamb, you’re in for a real treat with nutmeg. Remember, though, that with lamb, the “less is more” rule especially applies.

8. Scalloped Potatoes
A little nutmeg in the dish adds depth of flavor, while a dusting over the top will give you an up-front hit of nutmeg that then fades into creamy potato.

9. Spinach & Collard Greens
If you’re braising, add nutmeg early; you may want to re-up as the vegetables cook. If sautéing, a quick sprinkle when your greens start to wilt should do the trick.

10. Squash & Squash Soup
The nuttiness of squash, from acorn to zucchini, is accentuated by a sprinkle of nutmeg.
 
FOOD TRIVIA

The nutmeg tree produces two different spices, nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg is the seed of the fruit that grows on the tree, and mace is made from a red substance that covers it.

Today’s twist comes from popular New York City restaurant, Rosa Mexicano: the Margarita Francesa (French Margarita), using the popular French orange liqueur, Grand Marnier.

The recipe was originally developed in honor of the 25th anniversary for National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15, 2011). We’re making it for National Margarita Day, February 22nd.

This French-Mexican Margarita reverses the amount of spirit ingredients from a traditional Margarita for a more vibrant taste. The result, says Rosa Mexicano, is a profile that is smoother and more balanced with the enticement of the citrus notes and the complexity of cognac found within Grand Marnier.

FRENCH MARGARITA RECIPE

Ingredients

1. Rim a glass with coarse salt.

2. Combine Grand Marnier, tequila, lime juice, orange juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

3. Strain into a tall glass with ice and garnish with an orange wheel and lime wedge.
 
More Margarita Recipes
  

Paneer does not melt when heat is applied; it’s comparable to feta, halloumi and queso blanco in this way. It is also made without rennet,* and thus is a great protein source for vegetarians.

Chef Johnny Gnall learned to make paneer at a Aslam’s Rasoi (rasoi means “kitchen” in Hindi), one of San Francisco’s most popular prominent Indian restaurants. He’s become a real fan of paneer.

At the restaurant, chef Mohammed Aslam uses paneer in many of his dishes; one of the most popular is Saag Paneer, puréed spinach, fried paneer, herbs, spices and aromatics (here’s a recipe). The creamy texture of the spinach is complemented well by the supple paneer in this traditional Indian dish, but there’s no need to stick to the playbook when preparing paneer at home.

Make paneer at home with this easy recipe.

It takes 24 hours for the block of cheese to harden, but the steps themselves are simple, as are the ingredients: milk, cream, vinegar and a piece of cheesecloth.
 
 
HOW TO USE PANEER IN EVERYDAY DISHES
 
In eggs. Cut paneer into very small cubes and fold into scrambled eggs; or sprinkle liberally over the top of a frittata or quiche before baking. Add some freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to make things pop; or try roughly chopped herbs to add some green and bright flavor. Alternatively, grill or fry a slab of paneer and top it with a fried or poached egg. It’s a different way to indulge and branch out at brunch.

Beyond Indian recipes, here are our favorite ways to use paneer in popular Western dishes.

In most cases, you can use the paneer raw or grilled/fried. The cheese has no overwhelming flavors to conflict with other ingredient, and its texture is pleasant at any temperature.

In salads. Less salty than feta but with a similar texture, paneer adds a bit of richness to any salad.

You can cut it into cubes or simply crumble it with your hands. Its mildness enables it to work with just about any combination of ingredients or dressings.

With roasted vegetables. From peppers to carrots to tomatoes to potatoes, roasted vegetables pair well with paneer. All you need to do is crumble some onto the vegetables as soon as they come out of the oven. Not only does paneer add variety to the way you serve vegetables, but kids usually love it.

In soups and stews. The fact that paneer doesn’t melt makes it ideal for soups and stews. Simply cut it into cubes, or even slabs, and drop them into the soup just before serving. It adds some richness and creamy mouthfeel to a soup without significantly altering the flavor profile. Alternatively, you can fry the paneer first. Just blot it on a paper towel before you add it to the soup, to remove excess oil that would otherwise end up floating on the surface of the soup.

Have fun with paneer!
  

Tzatziki tops minced smoked salmon for a
sophisticated appetizer. Photo by Grenouille
Films | IST.

Salsa, from Mexico, is one example. Greek tzatziki (tsah-tsee-kee) is another.

A chilled mixture of yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, a pinch of salt and some fresh herbs (dill, mint or parsley), the cucumbers can be seeded and finely diced or puréed and strained.

Classic uses in Greek cuisine include as:

More ways to enjoy tzatziki:

 
Made with nonfat Greek yogurt, tzatziki is one of the healthiest sauces or condiments you can find, tasty and low in calories.

Try this tzatziki recipe.

People with lactose intolerance can use soy milk yogurt or try buffalo’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk yogurts, all of which are more easily digestible than cow’s milk yogurt.

More of our favorite dips and salsas.

 
*What’s the difference between a gyro and souvlaki? The preparation and shape. Souvlaki is cubes of meat (lamb, pork, chicken), cooked on individual skewers. The word means “small skewer” in Greek. The meat can be served on the skewer, on a bed of rice or in a piece of pita. Gyro means “going around.” A leg of lamb or other meat is cooked on a vertical rotisserie. The meat is sliced from the leg and served in pita. Döner kebap (“rotating meat” in Greek) and shawarma (“turning”) are other words from different regions, referring to the same food.

But flavored coffees only substitute for dessert if you’re a serious calorie counter. There are other ways to approach “dessert coffee.” This recipe from Eight O’Clock Coffee shows how to really enjoy coffee and a dessert in a single cup.

If this sweet, dessert-like coffee keeps you away from a piece of cake or pie, you actually save on calories. If you’re seriously counting calories, make a reduced-calorie version with caramel-flavored coffee (here’s one from Starbucks); whip some cream with powdered noncaloric sweetener and use a half dozen chocolate chips instead of the toffee candy.

CARAMEL COFFEE ”DESSERT”

Ingredients Per Serving

Preparation

1. Drizzle half of the caramel syrup into the bottom of mug. Pour in coffee. Add milk and whipped cream.

2. Drizzle the remaining caramel syrup over the whipped cream. Garnish with toffee candy.

Variations

You can turn this concept into a multitude of “dessert coffee” recipes.

Find more coffee recipes.

Find more dessert recipes.