Spicy Orange Pecans

A variation on a Hunanese sweetmeat that was a favorite recipe in my first cookbook, this has become an equally popular predinner treat at China Moon. The combination of rich pecans, fresh orange zest, and sugar zapped with a bit of salt is wonderful.

Soaking and drying the nuts alters them intriguingly. The soaking purges the bitter oils and brings out a striking richness. The drying leaves the nuts chewy. This step may be done as much as a week ahead of time. You can also carameli