Skip to main content

Roasted Peanuts - Alton Brown



Here's something many of you don't know about me....I grew up in a city that is proclaimed to be the "Peanut Capital of the World."  What city is that, you ask?  Well, Dothan, AL of course!  :)

Not only do we have the best peanuts in the world right here in Alabama, but we've got some pretty awesome football, too!

On the eastern side of the state, you'll find a town called Auburn, and another little town called Tuscaloosa on the western side.   These two cities are home to the state's biggest rivals in college football, and the folks around our state sure do take their football seriously!  Your battle cry is either ROLL TIDE! (University of Alabama)  or WAR EAGLE! (Auburn University).  There's absolutely no in-between, people.  You must choose a side.  We're talking serious business here.  :)

Last weekend, the two teams played each other in the Iron Bowl.  Fans of both teams look forward to the big game every year, and this year I'm proud to say that "my" team - the Alabama Crimson Tide - came out on top!  They won 42 - 14.  Not only that, but we are currently ranked No. 2 in the country!  

ROLL TIDE!

On game day, we had a little football viewing party at our house, and these roasted peanuts made a scrumptiously perfect snack while we watched the game.  Not only that, but the smell of them roasting in the oven was heavenly.  This recipe couldn't be simpler, and there just isn't any comparison between peanuts right out of the oven and the roasted peanuts at the grocery store.

I'll definitely be making these again soon.

Bon Appetit!


Roasted Peanuts
Source: 
Alton Brown

Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds in-shell raw peanuts*
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt
Directions:
*Cooks note: If eating peanuts roasted right out of the shell, use Virginia or Valencia peanuts. If utilizing roasted peanuts to make peanut butter, use Spanish peanuts as they have a higher oil content.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the peanuts under cool water to remove excess dirt. Pat dry and place in a large bowl and toss with the peanut oil and salt until well coated.

Place on 2 half sheet pans, making sure to spread them out into a single layer. Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through cooking. Once you remove the peanuts from the oven, let them cool slightly before eating. They will continue to "cook" and become crunchy as they cool.

If using peanuts to make peanut butter, remove shells and discard. Remove the skin by rubbing the peanuts together in your hands held over a salad spinner, allowing the peanuts and skins to fall into the bowl. Once the skin has been loosened from all of the peanuts close the salad spinner and spin until all of the skin has been separated from the peanuts.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Absolutely Sinful Cinnamon Rolls

***Alrighty, here are the cinnamon rolls that I mentioned in my previous post. I put these together on Christmas Eve, and then baked them on Christmas morning. Let me just tell you...there's nothing quite like the smell of yummy cinnamon rolls wafting through the house on Christmas morning...ahhhhh...so wonderful! This is going to be a new tradition for us...fresh, homemade rolls on Christmas. I thought that I might try this recipe, and then maybe try a new one next year...until I found one that I really loved. However, I hit the jackpot on the first try! This is THE recipe that I'll always use. UPDATE:   Since originally writing this post in 2008, I've  made these cinnamon rolls every year for Christmas!  They are a holiday tradition that my family looks forward to all year!  You can see my other posts here, with lots more photos of these sinful cinnamon rolls: CHRISTMAS 2009 CHIRSTMAS 2010 CHRISTMAS 2011 The great thing was that I could prepare them on Christmas

My Favorite Quiche!

***It's not often that a recipe is worthy of re-posting.  I think I've only done that once or twice in the entire time I've written this blog.  However, this is one of those rare occasions.  Back in 2009 when Brad and I went to Europe, we had the most amazing Quiche Lorraine at the incredible Les Deux Magots cafe in Paris.  It was delicious and was served alongside a yummy salad of fresh greens (Quiche Lorraine sur Salade Verte).  Oh, it was heaven on a plate!  It also didn't hurt that we were sitting on the patio of one of the most famous cafes in Paris, after all...haha.  The atmosphere and people-watching in that particular area are hard to beat. I'll never forget the elderly lady that was sitting at the table right next to us (the tables were situated pretty close together).  She was dressed to-the-nines, was all by herself, and was just the quintessential, classy Parisian lady.  I wish more than anything that I had tried to strike up a conversation with her

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread - Southern Living

***There seriously aren't very many things that smell better than Banana Nut Bread baking in the oven.   Don't you agree?  This recipe for Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread from Southern Living magazine was one of the very first recipes that I added to this blog...back in November 2007!  In fact, I came across it when I worked for the magazine as a Marketing Intern.  Back then, I didn't have a photo for every recipe, and the blog post was simply the recipe and nothing else.  Because this is my go-to recipe for Banana Nut Bread (and because it is so amazing!), I thought that it deserved a little more attention.  This is quite honestly some of the best Banana Nut Bread that I've ever had.  An entire 8oz. package of cream cheese is added right to the batter, along with 4 mashed bananas.  The cream cheese adds so much to this recipe, with an incredibly moist texture being the main component.  Plus, the roasted pecans are the perfect addition.  Roasting the nuts brings out