Nucato

Spiced Honey Walnuts

Source: Libro della cucina del secolo XIV, a collection of 14^th Century Italian recipes.

Original:

Dele mele bullito co le noci, detto nucato. Togli mele bullito e schlumato, con le noci unpoco peste e spezie cottte insieme: bagnati la palma de la mano coll'acqu et estendilo: lassa freddare a dil a mangiare. E puoi ponere mandole e avellane in luogo di noci .

Translation: (from The Medieval Kitchen Recipes from France and Italy)

Of honey boiled with walnuts, known as nucato. Take honey, boiled and skimmed, with slightly crushed walnuts and spices, boiled together: wet the palm of your hand with water and spread it out; let it cool, and serve. And you can use almonds of filberts in place of walnuts.

My Interpretation:

Placed honey in pot and heat until honey reaches a hard crack stage (Use a candy thermometer). Add spices and walnuts. Spoon out onto parchment to cool and harden.

Note:

I found it easier to add the spice and especially the nuts after the honey reached the hard crack stage, thus avoiding scorching the nuts.

Works Referenced:

On The Observance of Foods (De obseruatione ciborum), Anthimus, translated and edited by Mark Grant, Prospect Books, 1996

The Medieval Kitchen Recipes from France and Italy, Odile Redan, Francoise Sabban & Silvana Serventi, Translate by Edward Schneider, The University of Chicago Press, 1998