Master Platers: Boiled Peanuts & BBQ Sauce

By Chad Kelly, Chef de Cuisine at Black Rabbit

THE GOODS

5 lbs raw peanuts
1 1/2 lbs kosher salt, divided
1 cup vinegar-based hot sauce (we use our own house-fermented hot sauce) 4 cups Carolina-style barbecue sauce (we use a fermented version of our Wurm’s BBQ Sauce)

DIRECTIONS

Soak for 24 hours: the peanuts, 1/2 lb salt, and enough water to cover the peanuts.

Remove the peanuts from the brine and rinse thoroughly. In a large pot, combine the peanuts, enough water to cover the nuts, 1 lb of kosher salt, and the hot sauce. Bring the peanuts to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium/medium high to maintain a steady boil for 2 hours. The peanuts will float until they have absorbed enough water, so use a large mixing bowl and a cast iron pan or similar to weigh them down. Add more water if needed throughout the boiling process to keep the peanuts covered.

After 2 hours of boiling, add the barbecue sauce and continue to boil the peanuts until they’re tender all the way through. Stir the peanuts intermittently to make sure that the floaters have cooked at the same rate as the nuts on the bottom.

Drain and eat immediately, or cool the peanuts in the liquid overnight (this allows them to soak up more flavor), then heat, drain, and serve. Store leftover peanuts in a jar in the refrigerator or freezer.

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