Toast

To toast is to brown the outside of food with dry heat. It is used for bread, but also for nuts, seeds, whole spices, oats, coconut and flour. Toasting makes them crisper and gives a deeper, nuttier flavor. You can toast in a dry pan, in the oven, under the broiler (grill in the UK) or in a toaster.

How to do it

In a pan, for small amounts of nuts, seeds and spices:

1. Heat a dry, heavy pan over medium heat.
2. Add the food in one layer and shake or stir often.
3. Take it off the heat as soon as it is fragrant and lightly colored, usually 2 to 5 minutes.
4. Tip it onto a cold plate so it stops cooking.

In the oven, for larger amounts:

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
2. Spread the nuts on a sheet pan in one layer.
3. Toast for 5 to 12 minutes, stirring once or twice. Small or thin nuts such as pine nuts and flaked almonds take the least time, whole hazelnuts the longest.

How to tell it is done

The food is golden brown, not dark, and smells warm and nutty. Break a nut open: the inside should be light tan. Spices darken a shade and some seeds start to pop.

Why it works

Dry heat drives off surface water and starts the Maillard reaction, which builds new flavors and brown color. In nuts and spices, heat also releases aromatic oils. Toasted bread is crisp because its surface has dried out.

Common mistakes

• Walking away. Nuts and spices go from toasted to burnt in under a minute.
• Leaving them in the hot pan or on the hot tray. They keep cooking.
• Toasting a big batch in a small pan. They brown unevenly. Use the oven.
• Using oil when the recipe says toast. That is frying, and the food browns faster.
• Toasting nuts in advance and storing them in the open. The oils go stale. Store in an airtight jar for up to a week, or freeze.

In recipes

"Toasted sesame oil" is pressed from toasted seeds and is used for flavor, not for cooking over high heat. "Toast the spices" means dry-fry them before grinding.