Super-Tasty Salt & Pepper Peanuts
A Candy Manufactory classic in the making
While Miss Kim has been in the headlines and the Roadhouse is renovating (so far, so good—the target reopening date is still February 16), the Candy Manufactory continues to quietly make these terrifically tasty peanuts. It’s easy for them to go unnoticed with all that’s going on in the world at large and in our small corner of it here at Zingerman’s. The Candy Crew does for confectionery what the team at Alabama Chanin is doing for clothing: going back to traditional craft techniques that honor the dignity of the raw material, the dignity of the people who produce them, and the deliciousness and dignity of the finished product.
While the crew at the Candy Manufactory has been crafting these them for years now, I honestly hadn’t eaten any of these Salt & Pepper Peanuts for ages. No real reason—they just sort of fell off my regular “playlist.” That changed last week when I bought a bag to bring home and was reminded of just how darned good they really are. When they first came out a few years ago, I thought they were a 10 out of 10! I’m glad to say they still are!
What makes the Salt & Pepper Peanuts so good? Like so many of our best foods, they’re pretty simple, really. Start with amazing, plump, and flavorful peanuts, French fleur de sel (the highly prized, delicate layer of crystals that form atop natural salt ponds in the sun), and a healthy dose of that super-tasty Five Star Black Pepper Blend put together for us by our friends at Épices de Cru using five different sources of superb black peppercorns (Tellicherry Reserve, Mlamala, Rajakumari, Tellicherry Extra Bold, and Shimoga, in case you were curious). Everything is blended together to make one incredibly complex and exceptionally good flavor.
The Salt & Pepper Peanuts are terrific out of hand. Put a bowl or two out with wine, beer, or anything else you’re up for. I can’t guarantee that having them on the table will help your favorite team to win, but they’re great to snack on while you’re watching a bit of football, basketball or whatever other sport tickles your athletic fancy. They’re also great on salads, as well as on ice cream sundaes. And Allison Schraf, long time manager at the Candy Store, raves about how good they are atop chocolate gelato. You can go in a savory direction, by coarsely chopping them and then using some as a coating for fish or pork chops. Sweet, spicy, savory, and super tasty. Life-changing.
You can pick up the Salt & Pepper Peanuts at the Candy Store inside the Coffee Company and at the Deli. Stock up—they are an easy last-minute appetizer and a great way to perk up a salad. And hey, if a big snowstorm comes and you get stuck at home, you’ll have something tasty to put your mind at ease!
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