Nutmeg and mace

[Sloe-Gin Profile]

Whilst I use both, judiciously, in Indian food, I also use them in vegetable dishes.
There has been discussion, informally, on the use of nutmeg, so I thought I'd ask and see if anyone uses it - and in what!

I use grated nutmeg in potato dauphinoise and in wilted or creamed spinach.
I also (when making puddings, which I rarely do now) might add a little pinch of mace to a milk based pud.

There must be loads of other uses...

[Uschi Profile]

In German cuisine we like to add cubes of a savoury custard (Eierstich) to soups.

Eierstich is made by mixing eggs with a bit of stock or milk, butter or cream, salt and usually a good dose of nutmeg.
The mix is poured into mugs or freezer bags and left into a bain marie (or just simmering water) until it has set and can be cut into cubes which are then used in clear soups along with veg and noodles or rice.

[Earthmaiden Profile]

How interesting, Uschi.

It seems to me that in traditional British cookery (whatever that is!) it is used in milky/eggy dishes most - on top of rice puddings (made it nutmeg) or junket or most of the savoury white sauces with or without cheese. My grandmother always served cauliflower whole at the table covered with white sauce and a sprinkling of nutmeg as a garnish. I never have cooked spinach as a stand alone vegetable (a childhood horror) but it lends itself well to the sort of dishes which contain nutmeg - I don't think its traditional in Spanakopita but it works.

Of course, in many cakes and cakey puddings too.

I haven't had it with mashed potato as mentioned in the original discussion though. As that's an eggy/milky thing really it seems like a glaring omission. We discussed 'cheese and potato pie' recently - it would be excellent there.

Maybe we should start a thread on Indian cookery.

[Pampy Profile]

I use mace in the butter of potted shrimps.

[Pepper Pig Profile]

I always think of nutmeg as being Christmassy. I use it in the cake, the pudding and the mincemeat.

[Uschi Profile]

We use cinnamon and sugar on rice pudding and the like instead of nutmeg.

I forgot, Kohlrabi (also with a white sauce) loves nutmeg, too.

Mace is used in many sausages.

[KeenCook2 Profile]

I'm addicted to nutmeg in a spinach and cream sauce for bought spinach and ricotta tortelloni ... ideally starting with a little softened onion or shallot ...

[Suffs Profile]

I always grate nutmeg into the bechamel when making moussaka … also with buttered spinach, amongst other things.

[mark111757 Profile]

Buddy valastro AKA the cake guy uses mace in his pumpkin pie recipe.


https://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/1 ... umpkin_Pie


https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/home-an ... umpkin-pie

You might want to cut back on the cloves as you are using allspice too

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Re: Nutmeg and mace
by Pampy » Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:52 am

I use mace in the butter of potted shrimps.

Noice....! I can't remember the last time I had potted shrimps must rectify that soon!

I like mace over fresh fruit - especially melon - lovely in this weather.

[Suelle Profile Website]

We use cinnamon and sugar on rice pudding and the like instead of nutmeg.

I forgot, Kohlrabi (also with a white sauce) loves nutmeg, too.

Mace is used in many sausages.

My favourite sausages have enough mace in them for it to feature on the label, not just the ingredient list.

I usually add nutmeg to white sauces for pasta bakes, cauliflower cheese etc, unless I'm also adding mustard.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I use nutmeg quite a lot - it goes in almost anything savoury that has creamy dairy and something starchy - potatoes of various kinds, béchamel and derived sauces etc

I have a little nutmeg mill, I like it but some of them are quite fiddly, one with a serrated blade is best but my current one is plain and it’s ok

In sweet dishes I use it where the recipe calls for it, M&S used to do nice custard tarts with a noticeable amount

I have some whole mace which seems to keep forever, which is just as well as it was hard to grind until I got an electric spice mill, I use it where the recipe calls for it, mainly in Asian dishes

Had potted shrimps in Cumbria last week

[Renee Profile]

I use mace in the butter of potted shrimps.

I always used mace in the butter of potted shrimps and a touch of cayenne, I seem to remember.

[scullion Profile]

am i the only one finding insufficient difference in the flavour of nutmeg and mace to warrant the expense of the latter?

[Stokey Sue Profile]

What mace do you buy? I think little tubs of ground mace aren’t very strong, but I have whole mace brought back from Kerala many years ago, and when freshly ground I do think it still has a slightly brighter, sharper, flavour

Having said which, if I didn’t have it, I’d happily sub with nutmeg

Tip: drums or sachets of whole nutmeg in the world food aisle rather than the baking section are usually a good buy if you haven’t already found them

[scullion Profile]

it was real 'whole' mace.
according to the web it has a more subtle flavour of nutmeg - which i would take as a fainter rather than brighter flavour - maybe i don't have the gene for the subtle difference!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

There’s more myristin in the nutmeg I think - and myristin is sweetish, which may be why the mace is sharper to me

[herbidacious Profile]

I'm afraid I am not very adventurous with it, but I do own one of these:

Screenshot 2021-08-13 201746.jpg (39.95 KiB) Viewed 3141 times

'Made on the third planet' (or so it rather whimsically says on the base). W.M. Bounds.

We picked fresh nutmeg with bright red mace still attached off the forest floor in Barbados.

[PatsyMFagan Profile]

I love nutmeg on rice pudding and egg custard tarts, but always grate it over posh mash, usually when I use a ricer rather than just crushing them up (with their skins) with a masher ...

I have a little nutmeg grater a bit like a miniature cheese grater - does the job for me

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I have a very similar nutmeg mill to the one in Herbi’s pic, I did a hunt, those with the good serrated blade are made by Peugeot and rather pricey, but lovely