Serves: 4–6
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1½–2 hours
Ingredients
2 lb (900 g) raw peanuts in the shell
8–10 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
2–3 fresh red chilies, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
4 cups (1 L) water, or enough to mostly cover the peanuts
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1–2 tbsp butter, optional
Instructions
Rinse the peanuts thoroughly under cold water to remove dirt from the shells.
Make the seasoning liquid. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, combine the water, salt, paprika, black pepper, chili flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar.
Add the peanuts and garlic. Stir in the peanuts and crushed garlic. Bring everything to a boil.
Simmer. Reduce to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally. The peanuts are done when the shells are soft and the nuts inside are tender rather than crunchy. Add a little more water if necessary.
Build the spicy garlic oil. Toward the end of cooking, heat the olive oil and butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced chilies and a few additional crushed garlic cloves. Cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Transfer the peanuts. Drain the boiled peanuts well, then add them to the skillet. Toss thoroughly with the garlic-chili oil.
Finish. Cook for another 5–8 minutes, turning the peanuts occasionally, until they’re glossy and coated with the spicy seasoning.
Serve hot or warm. Spoon the garlic and chilies over the top. The shells can be opened by hand and the seasoned peanuts eaten directly.
For the look in the photo: leave the peanuts whole in their shells, use plenty of whole garlic cloves, sliced red chilies, and finish them in a cast-iron skillet with a generous drizzle of oil.