Spiral of Salami and Walnuts by Wan

Puzzle explanation

Each prime-numbered clue included a word in which only the letters in prime-numbered positions were to be used. The prime-positioned cells in the spiral in the grid contained “highly seasoned sausage and edible tree seeds”, descriptions of salami and walnuts. This configuration, in which prime numbers cluster along diagonal straight lines, was discovered by Stanislaw Ulam, whose name is an anagram of SALAMI and WALNUTS.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Modified word Answer Explanation
Across
1   RATABLE TABLE after RA
6   TETRAD RAD, TET in the other order
10   EDAM MADE <
11 (S)pi(n) JIPYAPA (PI < + Y) in JAPA(n)
13 (g)re(a)s(y) VIVRES VIVA − A + RES
14   UPPER SCUPPER − S(peed) − C
15   AIRN AIR + N
16   DROOG (GO + ORD) <
19 (t)hi(r)t(y) DESYATIN (STAYED IN) *
21   TUAREG TUG around ARE
23 (S)ho(v)e(l)s SHOE HOES *
26   DEATHLY EATHLY after D
28   ABYE A + BYE
30   TAENIA TAE + AIN <
32   ROGERIAN ((NAIR + R) around EGO) <
36   VALSE VALETA around S − TA
38   TONG THRONG − HR
39   OYERS AVOYERS − AV
40   FIASCO SCO(w) after FIA(t)
41 (h)at(e) BATEAUX BEAUX around AT
42   IKAT (homophone of TACKY) <, ie, the four phonemes in reverse order
43 (t)wo(f)o(l)d EMBERS MEMBERS − M
44   DEMESNE MES in DENE
Down
1   REPAST R(egret) E(ating) + PAST
2 (P)um(a) AD VIVUM UM after (DIVA + V) *
3 (m)ar(z)i(p)a(n) TAIRA (ARIA + T(offee)) <
4   BIRDSEED (DR < + SEE) in BID
5 (K)ey(n)e(s)’s LEER REEL <
6   TIFOSI (SOFI in IT) <
7 (m)on(k) TYPO PO after T(all)Y
8   APED A + PED
9   DARKNET TEND < around ARK
12   APHTHA (APT around H) + HA
17 (n)or(m)a(l)l(y) OESTRAL (ORAL + SET) *
18   URDÉE URD + E + E
20   AS-YET EASY with E moved to the end + T
22   PLATEASM LATE in PAS + M
24   EARLOBE PEARL − P + O’ + BED − D
25   CYGNET homophone of SIGNET
27   DIPNOAN DIP + NON around A
29 (j)us(t) HIATUS US after (HI + A + T(rotskyite))
31 (b)ea(s)t ALGATE A + LG + EAT *
33   LOCKS 2 meanings
34   LYAM L + MAY <
35   DREE DREK − K + E(dinburgh)
37 (s)pa(n)g(l)e(t) SIDE 2 meanings
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