Mandolato Recipe (Corfu Almond Nougat)

Mandolato is Corfu's version of the honey and egg white nougat found in various forms across the Mediterranean, most famously as Italian torrone, and the resemblance is no accident, reflecting the island's long Venetian history in its kitchen just as clearly as its savoury dishes do. It is made specifically for Easter, when households across the island produce it in real quantity.

The technique is a genuine test of patience rather than difficulty: honey is cooked to a specific stage, then whipped continuously into stiffly beaten egg whites over gentle heat until the whole mixture turns thick, pale and glossy, at which point toasted almonds are folded through and the whole mass is pressed between sheets of edible rice paper before it sets.

This is not a quick sweet, and rushing the honey-cooking stage or the whisking is the most common reason a homemade batch turns out sticky and soft rather than properly firm and chewy.

Key preparation steps

1. Toast whole almonds until fragrant.
2. Cook honey to a thick, hot stage.
3. Whip the hot honey into stiffly beaten egg whites continuously over gentle heat.
4. Fold in the almonds and press between rice paper to set.

Toasting the almonds

Whole blanched almonds, toasted in a dry pan or a moderate oven until golden and fragrant, give mandolato its characteristic crunch and nutty depth. Toast them well ahead so they are fully cool before folding into the hot nougat, since warm nuts can soften the setting mixture.

Cooking the honey properly

Heat honey in a heavy pan until it reaches a genuinely hot, thickened stage, close to what would be called soft-ball stage in sugar work, which takes real time and should not be rushed by turning the heat up, since honey scorches more easily than a plain sugar syrup.

A sugar thermometer takes the guesswork out of this stage if you have one, but failing that, a small amount dropped into cold water should form a soft, pliable ball rather than dissolving or turning brittle.

Whipping and setting

Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks, then, with the mixer running, pour in the hot honey in a thin, steady stream, continuing to whip over a very low heat or a bain-marie for a genuinely long time, ten minutes or more, until the mixture turns thick, pale and holds its shape.

Fold in the toasted almonds, then press the mixture out between two sheets of edible rice paper to a thickness of about one and a half centimetres, using a rolling pin to level it. Leave to set fully at room temperature for several hours before cutting into bars.

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