Frosted Peanuts

Guashuang Huasheng (挂霜花生)

Delicious frosted peanuts with a sweet and salty coating making it the perfect crispy, crunchy snack.

Peanuts are a staple of Sichuan diets. They can be found in everything, from noodle dishes like Yibin Ranmian (宜宾燃面) to famous, classic stir-fries like Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁). Peanuts are also a common household snack. Bowls of un-shelled peanuts can be found on coffee tables. Sweet Frosted Peanuts, like the ones in this recipe, can be found at home are bought from local street food vendors.

While not necessarily a traditional step, I suggest roasting the peanuts before cooking. This not only deepens their flavor but also makes removing the skin easier. The peanuts can be roasted in a wok or on a baking sheet in an oven set to 350 F (125 C) for 12 minutes. After roasting, place the peanuts in a clean kitchen towel and rub together for a minute until the skins fall right off. The peanuts can be then picked out from among the skins and placed in a bowl. If toasting in a wok, set the heat to low or medium low and cook for roughly the same amount of time. It's much easier to burn the peanuts using the wok method, so watch them carefully.

Traditionally, the type of sugar used for this is refined rock sugar. Large chunks of rock sugar are smashed into tiny pebbles and crushed into fine granules. However, any white sugar can be used even powder sugar or confectioners sugar, so long as it is pure sugar. (Some Chinese granulated sugar brands, to maximize profit, will cut their product with cheap filler, so chefs often use rock sugar to ensure quality, save money, and maximize flavor). The finer the sugar is the quicker it will melt and cook, so be careful when using fine sugar not to overcook the syrup. If you do happen to overcook the syrup slightly, you can make another Sichuan peanut snack called Candied Peanuts (拔丝花生). For more information on melting sugar for Frosted dishes, check out this The Ultimate Guide to Sichuan Sugars and Syrups.

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Total Time: 20 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients

1 Heaping cup of shelled Peanuts
1/2 tsp Salt

Frosting (挂霜)
1/2 cup White Sugar
1/2 cup Water
1/2 Tbsp. Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil

1/2 Tbsp. Powder Sugar

Directions

1.) Remove the skin from the Peanuts, place in a wok, and sprinkle with a little Salt to taste. Roast the peanuts in the wok on low heat and roast until perfectly toasty. (Be careful not to burn the peanuts. This can also be done in a skillet or even on a cookie sheet in an oven). Set the Peanuts aside in a bowl.

2.) Combine the three Frosting Ingredients (White Sugar, Water, and Peanut Oil) in a bowl, mixing to combine. (The sugar will not fully dissolve, but that's not important at this stage). Pour the Frosting into a wok and heat on medium, stirring constantly.

3.) As the wok heats, the sugar will dissolve, the syrup will boil, and the water will start to evaporate. Once the syrup starts boiling and tiny bubbles cover the entire surface of the syrup, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue stirring constantly until all the water has evaporated. (The syrup should reduce by about half, but it should not darken significantly. The color should be still be nearly clear or whitish. If the color has darkened significantly and resembles more of a brownish yellow, reduce your heat, add a heaping tablespoon of oil and make Candied Peanuts 拔丝花生 instead).

4.) Once the syrup has thickened, stir in the Peanuts, turn off the heat, and continue to stir until the Peanuts are frosted in a white coating.

5.) Transfer the Peanuts to a bowl or serving dish and allow to cool for about one minute. After this minute, use chopsticks to gently break up any clusters of Peanuts that have stuck together and optionally dust the Peanuts with Powder Sugar. This extra coating of Powder Sugar will adhere to the Peanuts without making them dusty and will prevent the Peanuts from sticking to each other.

 

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