"What are these? They're really good."
"Who made these?"
"These are really addictive!"
"How do you make them?!"
...these are just a few of the comments that were flying around a party when I put these out on the table. And they were all from people I didn't know. We were at a Kentucky Derby party that had some really great food: including lobster mac & cheese, a 5-meat bragout (sp?), pork belly, meat & cheese tray, and real-deal mint juleps with bourbon-smoked sugar crystals and fresh mint. And I'm not kidding, these nuts were the big hit!
We set them down, and they were gone in like 5 minutes!
This was probably the third time we have made them. My wife found the recipe in one of our many cookbooks. They are pretty easy to make too:
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Tin of Mixed Nuts
- Tin of Dry Roasted Peanuts
- Salt to taste
Crush up the spices together in a mortar & pestle.
Mix the wet & dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Then add the nuts and toss them to coat. Lightly grease a sheet of aluminum foil on top of a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees, stiring once.
Be sure to check on them after 10 minutes, though, so you know they aren't burning. If they get toasted too far, they aren't very good. Our batch #2 wasn't very good because I over-cooked them.
Pull them out of the oven and top with a little salt while they're still hot. Let them cool completely and serve.
The are salty & a little spicy from the cayenne. The Worcestershire sauce gives it a really rich flavor, and the herbs brighten everything up. I'm not exaggerating when I say they were a huge hit. And it only took about 20 minutes total and cost around eight bucks.
No comments:
Post a Comment