These nuts smell wonderful while baking. I use them in Grilled Chicken Salad with Apples and Roquefort (page 130), but I also eat them as a snack all the time. When I have some left, I put out a bowl for guests. They keep well for up to three days, but they rarely last that long in my house.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 2 1/2 cups

　　2 1/2 cups pecan halves

　　1/4 cup light corn syrup

　　1 teaspoon smoked or regular coarse sea salt or kosher salt

　　1/2 teaspoon smoked hot paprika

　　1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

　　

Step 2

Toss the pecans with the corn syrup, salt, paprika, and allspice in a large bowl until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on the prepared pan. Bake, rotating the pan once, until the pecans are deep golden brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Immediately transfer to a large bowl and toss continuously until the nuts separate into individual pieces. If necessary, separate clumps with your fingers. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.