Peanuts & Slivers

This is one of those deceptively simple recipes that ends up being the most popular thing on the table. Deep-fried peanuts mixed with crispy fried garlic slivers and salt, the kind of snack you find in Chinese and Vietnamese bars served alongside cold beer. It’s three ingredients, endlessly addictive, and once you’ve made them from scratch you’ll never buy jarred bar nuts again.

The trick to both components is the same: low-slow frying, not high heat.

Raw peanuts need gentle cooking so the oil penetrates to the center. Starting at medium-high to get them moving, then dropping to a simmer and stirring constantly, gives you evenly golden nuts that cook through without burning. Pulling them at light golden is key, they continue to darken as they cool, and over-fried peanuts taste bitter.

Garlic is even more delicate. Six heads of garlic sliced thin, fried in deeper oil until just crisp and pale gold. The moment garlic turns dark brown, it turns bitter fast, so reduce heat the second you see any color.

Drain both separately in a wire basket (paper towels make them greasy), cool completely, then combine with salt to taste. Break up any garlic clumps as you drain.

Pro Tips

• Peel garlic the lazy way: smash each clove with the flat of a knife, skins pop right off
• Use neutral oil like peanut or canola, olive oil smokes at these temperatures
• Cool completely before storing in an airtight jar, warm nuts steam and lose crispness
• They keep 2 weeks in a sealed container, but good luck making them last that long

Variations

• Toss with a pinch of Chinese five-spice or Sichuan peppercorn powder for extra warmth
• Add dried chili flakes while still warm for spicy heat
• Mix in crispy fried shallots alongside the garlic for even more allium complexity