Low-tech mortar and pestle can help heighten flavors

With all the high-tech kitchen equipment available today, one of my favorite tools is the low-tech mortar and pestle - a heavy, unbreakable bowl in which foods are ground or pounded to a puree with a club-shaped pestle made of stone or wood. You might wonder why anyone would want to do something manually when you can dispatch it in a few effortless seconds with a machine. But this ancient tool creates effects that a food processor simply can't achieve, and it has endless applications in a modern kitchen, especially in the summer.

The pounding action of the pestle is the key; it releases mellow, fully developed flavors. With herbs, for example, the bruising action of the pestle on the leaves activates their volatile oils. A classic basil pesto made in a mortar will be more fragrant, with "rounder" flavors, than one made in a food processor, which chops, rather than crushes.

This is especially apparent with garlic, which will have a mild, almost sweet flavor when crushed. Garlic pureed in a processor becomes bitter and harsh. This is the reason the famous garlic sauces like aioli from France and Spain are still made by hand with mortar and pestle. And why, whenever I make a sauce that features raw garlic, I pound the garlic to a paste with a pestle before adding it to the sauce. If I'm in a hurry, I might make the base of a mayonnaise-type sauce such as an aioli or rouille in a food processor, but I'll still pound the garlic separately and stir it into the finished sauce to keep it from getting bitter.

Texture is important, too: Pounding and grinding produces a much more elemental texture than a food processor, which yields a uniform puree. There is also a sensual, tactile element to working with a mortar and pestle. You are experiencing the process of change in the food as you use it, building flavors and dimensions layer by layer as you go.

I use mortars and pestles for all kinds of things beyond sauces. For example:

Loosen the peel of a clove of garlic.

Coarsely crush dried spices and saffron, and combine them into rubs and seasoning pastes.

Bruise fresh herbs to release their flavors.

Pit olives and summer cherries.

Pound soft ingredients like beans and olives to yield coarse purees and mashes, perfect for bruschettas.

Make quick herb oils to use as sauces or to add to soups or stews.

Mortars and pestles are easy to improvise: I've used rocks, door knobs, and fat wooden dowels in a pinch, pounding ingredients right on a counter or in a metal bowl.

If you want to buy a mortar and pestle, look for a mortar with enough weight to prevent it from sliding around. It should also be rough on the inside to help break down foods and big enough to make sauces and purees without spilling over.

Unpolished marble or stone are good materials, and laboratory supply houses often have ceramic beauties. Steer clear of glass and wood.

Pestles can be of just about any strong, durable material - marble, wood, ceramic - as long as they are the right shape: oblong with a somewhat flattened pounding end that presses and grinds food firmly against the mortar. A big, heavy pestle can cut pounding time.

makes four servings

2 tablespoons coriander seed, toasted if desired (see Note) and crushed

11/2 pounds new potatoes or fingerlings

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

Small bunch chives, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch

sticks

1.

To crush the coriander, transfer to a mortar and coarsely crush with a pestle. Or place a sheet of paper towel on the work surface and pour the coriander onto it. Use the side of a chef's knife or the flat bottom of a heavy can to press down on the spices to crush them. Carefully lift the sides of the towel and tilt the crushed coriander into a small bowl.

Alternatively, for a less rustic effect, coarsely grind them in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder. Transfer to a ramekin or small bowl.

2.

Place the potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; add enough cool water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Drain and transfer the potatoes to a serving dish; cover to keep warm.

3.

To serve, arrange little ramekins or piles of butter, cracked coriander, salt and snipped chives on a platter or tray to make them easy to pass.

Note: Toasting the coriander will heighten its flavor and give it a pleasing crackle. Scatter the seeds into a small skillet. Toast over moderately low heat, shaking the pan frequently, until you get a whiff of its fragrance. Remove from the heat and crush as desired.

Per serving:

348 calories, 5 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams sugar, 25 grams fat, 65 milligrams cholesterol, 1,456 milligrams sodium, 4 grams dietary fiber.

makes four servings

2 large bunches of basil or basil plants

1 garlic clove

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

3 tablespoons Italian pine nuts (pignoli)

3 tablespoons finely grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese 4 tablespoons fruity

extra-virgin olive oil

1.

Pick the smallest and most tender leaves off the basil plants until you have 4 cups loosely packed, about 11/4 ounces. If the leaves are gritty, wash them gently in several changes of water. Dry them well in a salad spinner. If you can find only very large or very tough leaves, pull the center spines out of the leaves and discard.

2.

Cut the garlic clove in half lengthwise and remove the green sprout in the center, if any. In a large, heavy mortar, combine the garlic and salt and crush to a paste. Add the basil.

3.

Using a circular stirring motion, grind the leaves until they are almost a paste. Add the pine nuts and continue grinding against the sides and bottom of the mortar until it is a coarse puree.

4.

Work in the cheese; the mixture will have the texture of a thick paste. Dribble in the olive oil a little at a time using the same circular motion until the pesto has become creamy. Adjust the salt.

Note: The pesto is best when freshly made. To store, press plastic wrap directly against the top of the pesto and refrigerate up to one week.

Per serving:

189 calories, 3 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, trace sugar, 20 grams fat, 3 milligrams cholesterol, 204 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.

makes one cup

Scant 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 coriander seeds

Seeds from 1 cardamom pod

1 cup whole milk, yogurt or sheep's milk yogurt

8 basil leaves, finely chopped

1/2 small jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon finely grated lime peel

1/8 teaspoon sugar

Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.

In a small skillet, toast the cumin, coriander and cardamom seeds over moderate heat until you can smell their fragrance. Set aside to cool slightly.

2.

In a mortar and pestle, blender, or spice grinder, grind the toasted spices to a fine powder. Strain the powder into a small bowl.

3.

In a medium bowl, add the yogurt. Stir in the basil, minced chili pepper, lime peel, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the spice powder. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

4.

Refrigerate 30 minutes to let the flavors marry before serving with fruit or chicken.

Note: This sauce is best eaten the day it is made, although it will keep two days refrigerated, with a slight fading of flavor.

Per quarter-cup serving:

46 calories, 3 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams sugar, 2 grams fat, 6 milligrams cholesterol, 96 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber.