Makes 2 cups (about 320 g)

This recipe takes the humble peanut to new heights by removing it
from the baseball park or a table in front of the TV and putting it on the
dinner table or bar. This is the creation of Andy Ricker, owner of Pok
Pok restaurant and whiskey bar in Portland, Oregon, the only authentic
Thai street food restaurant on the Pacific Coast of the United States.
Kaffir peanuts are salty, they’re spicy, they’re perfumed, and they are
crisp—they’ll be gone before you know it.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups (500 ml) mild oil, such as safflower
• ½ cup gently packed kaffir lime leaves, stemmed
• 6 whole bird’s-eye or Thai chiles
• 2 cups (320 g) raw red-skinned peanuts
• 1 teaspoon ne sea salt, or to taste

PREPARATION

1. In a wok or smallish deep skillet, heat the oil to 350°F (180°C).
2. Add the kaffir leaves to the oil—be careful, as they will sputter and spit. As soon as all the leaves are in the oil, remove them and drain on paper towels. They will turn slightly golden but should be mostly dark green.
3. Add the chiles to the oil and cook until they are slightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
4. Prepare a sieve by setting it over a medium bowl.
5. Add the peanuts to the oil, turn down the heat slightly, and fry the peanuts until they are light golden, 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Every batch of peanuts will fry differently, so you need to stay near them, and if they look and smell as though they are cooking more quickly than indicated, transfer them to the waiting sieve to drain. Blot them gently with paper towels if you feel they have retained too much oil.
6. When the peanuts have cooled but are still quite warm, transfer them to a large bowl. Add the lime leaves, the chiles, and the salt and stir using your hands, breaking up the lime leaves and chiles as you stir. Cover the bowl so it is nearly, but not quite, airtight, and let the peanuts cool to room temperature. Serve immediately.

Notes:

• Deep-frying peanuts is not hard, but it takes eagle eyes and an attentive nose to survey the heat and remove those peanuts from the fat well before they begin to turn too dark, as they continue to cook once they’ve left the fat.
• The kaffir lime leaves, which can be found at Asian and international groceries, and peppers are part of the dish, right along with the peanuts