I seem to recall LA did a thread on boiled peanuts a couple of years ago but noted that his recipe was for industrial sized quantities of jumbo peanuts. Many of us don't have access to those babies so I thought I'd fill the gap with a "home quantity" recipe or two. Those of you who never developed a taste for boiled peanuts are excused from reading farther (or further if you prefer).
Boiled peanuts are as popular in Hawaii as they are in the south but ours are seasoned differently. I make them local (Hawaiian/Chinese) style about 1/4 of the time and Cajun style the rest.
I can only get raw (dried) peanuts so if you have green peanuts available you'll have to adjust your cooking time.
I rinse the nuts and put a pound in a crockpot with 10 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt (I use sea salt because I have a 50-pond bag in the garage) plus the seasoning below. In my crockpot that covers the nuts with about 2 inches of water. A lot of folks use lots more salt but I don't like them quite that salty. If you want to cook more than a pound at a time, just make sure you keep the salt to water ratio the same - I occasionally do 2 pounds in 15 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of salt.
Five and a half hours in the crockpot on HIGH do the trick. Raw peanuts float when you start and sink when they're done. Let them sit in the water for a while after they're done to soak up the juice and cool a bit (sorta like crawfish). You can refrigerate them in the liquid for a few days and drain when serving. If you make more than you need, they freeze well (drained and vac-packed).
For Hawaiian/Chinese style I add:
- 3 dried star anise,
- 2-3 sliced sliced fresh ginger "coins" (about an inch of ginger total),
- 3 cloves slightly smashed garlic, and
- 2 cinnamon sticks
For Cajun style I use:
- 1 tablespoon Cajun spice (I make my own salt-free but be sure to take the salt content into account if you're using a commercial product),
- 1 tablespoon liquid shrimp & crab boil (Zatarain's), and
- 2-3 peppers off the bush outside (Hawaiian chili peppers - use what you got)
If anyone has any other recipes, please chime in.
