Chef Dimitra
Chios Nerantzi Glyko Koutaliou (Νεράντζι Γλυκό Κουταλιού)
Chios bitter orange peel rolled into tight coils, blanched through clean waters, then preserved in a clear fragrant syrup for the spoon-sweet tray.
Culinary Explorer
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Mandoles Kefalonias (Μάντολες Κεφαλονιάς)
Created by
Kefalonia's mandoles are whole roasted almonds in a red caramelised sugar shell, made by stirring off heat until the coating clings cleanly to each almond.
Desserts
Greek
Celebration
Make Ahead
Comfort Food
10 min
Active Time
25 min cook•35 min total
YieldAbout 550g, 8 to 10 small servings
Mandoles Kefalonias are Kefalonia's red almonds, glossy little sweets made from whole roasted almonds and sugar stained the color of old Ionian shop windows. They are not sugared almonds for a wedding tray, and they are not brittle. They should rattle in a tin, catch the light, and crack crisp before the almond gives underneath.
The whole dish rests on the off-heat stir. Once the syrup tightens around the almonds, you pull the pan away and keep tumbling them so the sugar coats each nut instead of collapsing into one hard sheet. Do that calmly and the mandoles stay separate. Rush it, and you'll have a red lump with almonds trapped inside, which may be edible but has lost its Kefalonian manners.
I keep the color because it belongs to the island version. Leave it out if you must, but then say plainly that you've made caramel almonds, not Mandoles Kefalonias. The region is the dish's surname. A recipe written down is a recipe saved, even when it is only almonds, sugar, and the patience to stir.
Mandoles belong to Kefalonia and the Ionian Islands, where centuries of Venetian rule left Italian food words in the local kitchen; the name is tied to mandorle, the Italian word for almonds. The Ionian Islands remained under Venetian control until 1797, and their sweets kept a different accent from much of the mainland, with almond confections, sugar work, and Italianate names living beside Greek feast days. The red sugar shell became the Kefalonian marker, separating these mandoles from ordinary caramelised almonds.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
whole raw almonds
Quantity
300g
skins on
granulated sugar
Quantity
300g
water
Quantity
120ml
lemon juice
Quantity
1 teaspoon
red confectionery coloring
Quantity
8 to 10 drops liquid, or 1/4 teaspoon gel
suitable for hot sugar
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| whole raw almondsskins on | 300g |
| granulated sugar | 300g |
| water | 120ml |
| lemon juice | 1 teaspoon |
| red confectionery coloringsuitable for hot sugar | 8 to 10 drops liquid, or 1/4 teaspoon gel |
Equipment Needed
- •heavy wide saute pan, 28 to 30cm
- •wooden spoon
- •large baking tray, about 30 by 40cm, lined with parchment
Instructions
- 1
Roast the almonds
Heat the oven to 170C. Spread the almonds on a baking tray and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking once, until they smell warm and nutty but have not darkened hard. Let them sit near the stove so they go into the syrup warm, not cold.
- 2
Prepare the tray
Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and set it close to the stove. Hot sugar waits for no one. Use a wooden spoon and keep your hands clear of the syrup.
- 3
Cook the syrup
Put the sugar, water, lemon juice, and red coloring into a heavy wide pan. Stir over medium heat only until the sugar dissolves, then let it boil without stirring for 5 to 7 minutes, until the bubbles grow thick and the syrup falls from the spoon in a heavy thread.
- 4
Add the almonds
Tip in the warm almonds and stir constantly. First the pan will look glossy and loose. Then the syrup will tighten, turn cloudy, and begin to cling to the almonds in red grains. Keep going.
- 5
Stir off heat
Take the pan off the heat and keep stirring firmly for 2 to 3 minutes, lifting and tumbling the almonds until the sugar coats them instead of gathering in one lump. This is the step that decides mandoles. The sugar must grab each almond before it turns into a hard praline slab.
If the coating looks wet and runny, return the pan to low heat for a minute. If it clumps heavily, pull it off the heat and stir until the almonds separate again. - 6
Glaze the coating
Return the pan to very low heat and stir for 3 to 5 minutes more. The rough red sugar will melt in patches and turn shiny, but don't melt it all the way smooth. Mandoles should be craggy, glossy, and separate, with roasted almond showing under a crisp red shell.
- 7
Cool and store
Scrape the mandoles onto the lined tray and spread them out quickly with the spoon. When they are just cool enough to touch, separate any joined almonds. Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight tin in a dry cupboard.
Chef Tips
- •Use whole almonds with their skins. Blanched almonds look tidy, but they don't give the same toasted bitterness against the sugar. Λίγα και καλά: good almonds, good sugar, and nothing decorative.
- •A wide heavy pan matters more than bravery. Crowded almonds cool the syrup too quickly and encourage clumps, so don't double the recipe unless you have a very large pan and a strong wrist.
- •Store mandoles dry, never in the refrigerator. Cold makes the sugar sweat, and then the crisp shell turns sticky. They keep well for about two weeks in an airtight tin.
Advance Preparation
- •Roast the almonds up to 3 days ahead and keep them airtight once fully cool.
- •Mandoles can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and stored in an airtight tin in a dry cupboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 60g)
Calories
320 calories
Total Fat
17 g
Saturated Fat
1 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
15 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
5 mg
Total Carbohydrates
41 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
35 g
Protein
7 g
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