Chinese Five-Spice Candied Nuts
Makes about 4 cups
Adapted from Chow
These warmly spiced nuts are welcoming on a crisp fall day. But be patient as you’re making them. The frying process can be slow because you must work in small batches.
4 cups raw mixed nuts, like almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, Brazil nuts
1 cup powder sugar, sifted
Canola oil, about 4 cups
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
¼ teaspoon salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
Over high heat, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add nuts and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain immediately, and transfer nuts to a medium bowl. Nuts will be hot and wet. Add powdered sugar and stir continuously until sugar is dissolved and evenly coats the nuts. Careful not to leave any clumps of sugar; they will not fry correctly.
Fill a large skillet with one inch oil, about 4 cups, and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop up a small batch of nuts and add them to the hot oil. Oil will immediately begin to foam. Let foam subside before adding more nuts, otherwise the oil could foam over. Fry nuts until golden brown, 45 seconds to 1 minute, and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat until all nuts are fried.
Combine Chinese five-spice powder, salt, and pepper.
While nuts are still warm, transfer them to a bowl and sprinkle with Chinese five-spice mix. Add mix little by little, and taste as you go. The fresher your powder, the stronger the seasoning will be, and adding it slowly allows you to make sure the seasoning is right for you.
Cool nuts completely and store in an airtight jar for up to two weeks.
big world | small kitchen
http://www.bigworldsmallkitchen.com/recipe/chinese-five-spice-candied-nuts-recipe
