Dreaming of street food

Another wet, dreary day, and my craving for the food of home has intensified. I didn't have time to cook these today but thought I'd photograph the ingredients that go into making spicy garlic peanuts, since many people have asked me about them.

1 kilo raw peanuts, skins on
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 dried whole chilis (these are Thai birdseye chilis, they're pretty hot)
a generous amount of good sea salt (I use Maldon Sea Salt from England)
black peppercorns, crushed
about 3 tbsp olive oil

Nothing is easier to make. When you get the hang of making these, you won't want to eat store bought peanuts anymore. Make sure you have beer or white wine in the fridge to go with these.

Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large, thick-bottomed skillet. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the peanuts and garlic cloves and stir well with a wooden spoon to coat with oil. Crumble the dried chili peppers, seeds and all, over the nuts. Peanuts burn quickly, so keep an eye on them as they cook, stirring frequently. Adjust the heat if the peanuts cook too fast - scorch marks on the skin are a telltale sign. The garlic peel will split as the garlic cooks. When the peanut skins have darkened considerably, they're done. It takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your pan. Take a few peanuts out and taste them but be careful not to burn your tongue. If they no longer taste raw, they're done. They will feel a bit chewy when you bite into them, but will crisp up as they cool.

Take the skillet off the heat and set it aside to cool. Add the salt and black pepper (crushed in a mortar and pestle) and mix well to coat the cooked peanuts. It would be a good idea to wait for them to cool completely before eating them, but I seldom follow my own advice.

Store peanuts in a glass jar with a tight lid.