If you’re a lover of pistachio-based desserts, this recipe is made for you. Pistachio praline can be used as is, to get an ultra-indulgent insert, or it can be used to flavour different preparations: a whipped ganache, a mousse, a diplomat cream.
I took inspiration from the recipe by Aurélien Cohen but I put less salt in.
On the other hand, be aware that praline is sweet (yes, it’s a matter of blending roasted pistachios with caramel). If you use praline to make, for example, a pastry cream or a whipped ganache, you’re inevitably going to add sugar. It’s up to you to find the right balance. Generally, I use praline to make inserts (it really gives the dessert an ultra-indulgent touch) but for other preparations, I prefer to use pistachio paste. It’s even simpler to make since it’s a matter of blending roasted pistachios until you get a fairly liquid paste. There, no added sugar. It’s up to you!
But one thing is certain, forget the ready-made jars of praline you can find in supermarkets. Usually, it’s a jar of fluorescent green praline (the colour should send you running). A pistachio praline isn’t fluorescent green, I guarantee it. Go for a homemade praline instead because it’s really very simple to make (provided you have a food processor, of course). I can also guarantee that you don’t need an outrageously expensive processor to manage it. To tell you the truth, I make all my pralines with the food processor from Lidl that cost me €17, so there you go…
On the other hand, you’ll see… the pistachio is a nut that is particularly expensive. You can find them in specialist shops like G Detou in Paris or at Zôdio (€17 for 250 g at the latter, for example). You can obviously also find them in supermarkets (€5.50 for 100 g at Carrefour the last time I went). And I assure you that 250g goes very quickly.
Finally, if you’re praline fanatics, I also advise you to go and take a look at the recipe for Philippe Conticini’s homemade almond and hazelnut praline. You can make this recipe with any nut (I love making it 100% hazelnut or with pecans, a delight!)
Ingredients & Method
1 component · Full recipe
Pistachio Praline
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) unsalted green pistachios
- 125 g (4.4 oz) sugar
- 2 pinches of fleur de sel
Method
1
Toast the pistachios in the oven for about 15 minutes at 150°C / 300°F. Leave to cool.
2
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, make a dry caramel with the sugar. You want a deep amber colour. Keep a close eye on it — it can happen fast. Pour the caramel onto a parchment-lined tray or a silicone mat and leave to cool.
3
Once everything (caramel and pistachios) is completely cool, break up the caramel sheet and place it in a food processor with the pistachios and fleur de sel. Blend in pulses, scraping down the sides regularly and pausing to avoid overheating, until you reach a praline consistency. The longer you blend, the more liquid it will become.
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