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Drunken Peanuts

EASY7 INGREDIENTS7STEP1 HR 20 MIN·
Posted: 12/30/2024
Lonnie
BY Lonnie
Posted: 12/30/2024

Drunken Peanuts play icon

How can you have a get-together with friends without some dishes to go with wine? Drunken Peanuts must be arranged. The peanuts after being fried have a crispy taste. The combination of spiciness, numbness and fragrance enables you to quickly create a popular dish to accompany wine, making the drinking more joyful.

3-4
SERVINGS
7
INGREDIENTS
7
STEP
1 hr 20 min
TOTAL TIME

What is Drunken Peanuts?

Drunken Peanuts is a delicious dish to go with wine. It is mainly made from peanuts as the raw material.

First, soak the peanuts until soft and remove the skin. Then fry them until they are crispy and brown. Next, use the remaining oil in the pan to fry and fragrance star anise and dried chili peppers. Pour the fried peanuts in, add red pepper powder, salt and white sugar for seasoning. After quick stir-frying, it is ready.

After going through these procedures, the peanuts have a crispy taste, with a spicy, numb, salty and fragrant flavor and a little sweetness. It is very suitable for being enjoyed together with wine. It is a small snack that wine lovers like very much.

Drunken Peanuts Recipe

Required ingredients and substitutes

Main Ingredient

Raw Peanuts: Full in grains, which is the core of the dish. It has a crispy and fragrant taste after being fried.

Auxiliary Ingredient

Sichuan Pepper: Adds the flavor of numbness and fragrance, enhances the taste level and makes the taste more rich.

Dried Red Chili Pepper: Gives the spicy taste, stimulates the taste buds and makes the taste of the dish more impactful.

Seasoning

Chili Powder: Increases the spiciness and color, meets the taste requirements of people who like spicy food and enhances the visual appeal.

Salt: Basic seasoning, highlighting the crispy and fragrant taste of peanuts and the taste of other seasonings, controlling the degree of saltiness.

Sugar: Adds sweetness, neutralizes the spicy and numb taste, makes the taste more balanced and harmonious and the taste more rich.

Oil: Used for frying and stir-frying to make the peanuts heated evenly and achieve the crispy taste.

Substitutes

Raw Peanuts: Can be replaced with chickpeas and other nuts. The shape and taste are different and can bring a different flavor.

Sichuan Pepper: Can be replaced with pepper tree pepper. The numb taste is more fresh and strong, which can bring a new flavor experience to the dish.

Dried Red Chili Pepper: Can be replaced with millet chili pepper. The spiciness is higher and can increase the spiciness intensity of the dish.

Chili Powder: Can be replaced with chili oil. It has both spiciness and the fragrance of oil, making the peanuts have a brighter color.

Sugar: Can be replaced with rock sugar powder. The sweetness is purer and can make the surface of peanuts more glossy after melting.

Raw peanuts: Full grains, the core of the dish. After being fried, it has a crispy and fragrant taste.

Is there any requirement for the water temperature for soaking peanuts?

It is best to use normal temperature water for soaking peanuts, about 25 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is too high, it will affect the taste of peanuts. If the temperature is too low, it will prolong the soaking time.

You can directly soak peanuts with tap water. Generally, it only needs to be soaked for 1-2 hours. When you see that the peanut skin is slightly wrinkled, it means that it is ready to be peeled. If you have enough time, you can also soak them with cold water the night before and deal with them the next day. 

Secrets of Success

Key Points of Material Selection:

Be sure to select fresh and plump peanut kernels, and give priority to using high-quality local peanuts. This kind of peanuts has better oil content and nutritional components. After frying, the finished product is much more crispy and delicious than ordinary peanuts, laying a foundation for delicious taste.

Frying Skills:

Accurately control the oil temperature at 40% heat, which is about 120 degrees Celsius. Fry in two times. First, fry with medium and small fire until the peanuts are 70% cooked, then take them out and let them cool down. Second, fry them again with high fire until they turn golden yellow to ensure that they are crispy outside and soft inside and lock in the best taste.

Key to Seasoning:

According to the ratio of 2 grams of salt, 3 grams of pepper powder and 5 grams of chili powder for every 100 grams of peanuts, add materials accurately. Sprinkle the materials while they are hot to make the peanuts evenly wrapped with taste. When stir-frying, add an appropriate amount of white liquor or cooking wine to enhance the aroma. Strictly control the amount to prevent the peanuts from becoming soft.

Storage Tips:

After making, wait until the peanuts are completely cooled down and then put them in a can. Choose a sealed and moisture-proof container. With such standardized storage, the peanuts can be kept fresh for about one month. During this period, the crispy taste remains the same, and you can enjoy the delicious taste at any time. 

INGREDIENTS

Main Ingredients

  • ·
    250g raw peanuts

Accessories

  • ·
    5g Sichuan peppercorns
  • ·
    5g dried red chilies

Seasonings

  • ·
    5g chili powder
  • ·
    3g salt
  • ·
    3g sugar
  • ·
    Oil for frying

Hey, I'm Lonnie. I specialize in Chinese cuisine, with expertise in the flavors of Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong, and Hunan. I'm here to share my recipe insights and take you on a journey to discover the charm of Chinese culinary delights.

COOKING STEP

HIDE IMAGES

Step 1

Put 250 grams of peanuts into clean water and soak them for one hour.

Soak peanuts

Step 2

After soaking, remove the peanut skins.

Remove skins

Step 3

Pour a little less than half of the pot of oil into the pan and heat it to 40% heat.

Heat oil

Step 4

Pour the peanuts into the pan and fry them until they become crispy and then take them out.

Fry peanuts

Step 5

Leave some oil in the pan, put 5 grams of Sichuan pepper and 5 grams of dried chili peppers in the pan and stir-fry until fragrant.

Sauté spices

Step 6

Then pour the peanuts into the pan, add 5 grams of chili powder, 3 grams of salt and 3 grams of white sugar.

Add seasonings

Step 7

Stir-fry evenly quickly and then you can take it out of the pan and enjoy it.

Stir evenly and serve

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Variations in Recipes

Ingredient Innovation:

You can mix in a small amount of peeled almonds or broken cashew nuts and fry them together with peanuts to enhance the layering of nut flavor. About 20 grams of other nuts are matched with every 100 grams of peanuts. After frying, it has not only the spicy and crispy flavor of alcoholic peanuts but also a unique mellow taste of nuts.

Seasoning Transformation:

Replace part of the pepper powder with 3 grams of curry powder and 2 grams of cumin powder to give the alcoholic peanuts a unique exotic flavor. Add a little lemon zest to add a fresh fruity aroma, making the taste no longer monotonous and making it more novel and interesting to eat.

Expansion of Cooking Methods:

Try making it in an air fryer. Put the soaked and peeled peanuts into the air fryer, bake at 180°C for 10 minutes in the middle, turn over halfway, and then bake for 5 minutes. Then season according to the normal steps. By doing this, you can reduce the intake of oil and the taste is equally crispy.

Upgrading of Eating Combinations:

Alcoholic peanuts are eaten with cheese pieces. The strong milky fragrance of cheese collides with the spicy and crispy taste of peanuts. With one bite, the rich taste explodes in the mouth. It is an excellent snack combination in leisure time.

How to Store It Best?

After it has cooled down completely, put it in a sealed glass jar or a fresh-keeping box and place it in a cool and dry place. It can be stored for 2-3 weeks.

The fried peanuts must be completely cooled down and there should be no temperature or moisture at all. The container should be made of glass or food-grade plastic. It should be cleaned and dried before use.

The storage location should avoid direct sunlight. It should not be placed in the kitchen with heavy oil smoke. It should also not be placed in the refrigerator because low temperature will affect the taste.

FAQs:

Q
How to tell if the peanuts are cooked?
A
First, look at the appearance. It should be evenly golden yellow or light brown. If there's a charred part, that won't do.
Next, use chopsticks to stir. If the peanuts make a crisp sound, it indicates that it's somewhat cooked.
Then, get close and smell. If there's a fragrance and no raw and astringent taste, it's basically cooked well. Finally, take a bite to test. If the outer skin is crispy and the inside is soft, it means it has been fried properly.
Q
What are the tricks for removing peanut skin?
A
One way is to take out the soaked peanuts, place them on a sieve, and rub the peanuts gently with your hands. The peanut skin will fall off. Then rinse them with clean water to wash the skin away.
Another way is to wrap the peanuts in a clean wet cloth and rub them gently like rubbing clothes. In this way, the peanut skin will also come off easily.
If there are a lot of peanuts, put them in a basin, add an appropriate amount of water, and rub them repeatedly with both hands. The peanut skin will float on the water surface. Take out the skin and wash them several times. After that, the peanuts will be clean of the skin.
Q
Can the ratio of salt and white sugar be adjusted?
A
The ratio of salt and sugar can be adjusted. According to the usage of 250 grams of peanuts, it is recommended that for a salty taste, 5 grams of salt and 2 grams of sugar can be used. For a sweet taste, 2 grams of salt and 5 grams of sugar can be used. To balance the taste, keep the original recipe with 3 grams of salt and 3 grams of sugar each.
When adjusting the ratio, pay attention to putting a small amount first. Because if you put too much seasoning, it cannot be reversed. You can taste a peanut during the frying process and supplement the seasoning at any time according to the taste. It should be especially noted that the amount of pepper and chili will also affect the saltiness. When using more spices, the amount of salt should be appropriately reduced.
Q
Will it affect the taste if you eat it after it has cooled down?
A
The taste of hot food and cold food is indeed different, but the peanuts can still maintain a crispy taste after cooling down and will not affect the overall flavor.
Many people will fry a large amount at one time and keep it for eating slowly. This storage method is completely acceptable. The key is to pay attention to sealing and storing it. When taking it out each time, the action should be quick to avoid the peanuts getting damp.
2

REVIEWS

Your Rating:
Bjorn
Bjorn January 01, 2025

I tried this recipe, but my peanuts came out too salty. Any tips on adjusting the seasoning?
Chinarecipes REPLY:
Try reducing the amount of salt in the marinade and taste test before soaking the peanuts. You can always add more if needed after they've marinated!
Marguerite
Marguerite January 02, 2025

Do you think I can add a little bit of garlic or chili powder to spice it up?
Chinarecipes REPLY:
Absolutely! Adding garlic and chili powder can enhance the flavor and give it an extra kick. Just be careful with the chili powder, it can get pretty spicy!

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