I had my first and only experience with this interesting take on a simple finger food at a restaurant here in Ottawa called Union. We had a team lunch there for my work, and as a southern-style kitchen, I knew not to expect more than a salad option- something I'm sure many of you can relate to. When they brought a little dish of these tasty morsels to our table while we waited, my eyes lit up. They were tender, salty and delicious.
I thought I knew the peanut. Raw, salted, unsalted, roasted, candied, shelled, in-shell, blended into butter- I love them in any form. Apparently this is a very popular snack in the Southern US, as well as India, Africa and Central and South America. Clearly, I am behind.
It did take me a while to try out this recipe, though. When I excitedly picked up a giant bag to take home and share my discovery with friends, I didn't realize that they take 3-4 hours of cooking. For a pre-meal snack? That would push dinner to after 9pm on a weekday. The bag was shoved into the back of my cupboard.
Then, a Sunday evening snack celebration was upon us: Superbowl Sunday. I finally got to try these out on my own. Maybe it was hard for the little guy to shine amidst the amazing homemade wings, ribs, doughnuts and cheesy bacon potato skins (my awesome friend veganized a few for me, oh yes she did) but to me, they were even better than I remembered.
Boiled Salted Peanuts
Ingredients
3 pounds of fresh raw peanuts, in shell
2/3 cup coarse-ground grey seasalt (or about 3 tablespoons regular table salt)
Enough water to cover
Directions
Wash the peanut shells and combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let them boil gently for at least 3 hours. If you have the time, 4 hours or more is best. You can test them as you go- just crack one open and see if they're salty enough for you. Add more if needed and let it continue to boil another 30 minutes or so. Some places boil these all day long, so don't worry about over-cooking. Serve hot in-shell.
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