Caramelized boiled nuts

This method produces delicious shiny sweet crunchy cashews and peanuts. Place two handfuls of skinless nuts in a pan with a litre (4¼ cups) of cold water and a teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. Cook cashews for 8 minutes and peanuts for 12 minutes. Drain into a colander, then tip into a bowl, add 4 tablespoons of sugar and toss together. Tip onto a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking parchment and leave to cool and dry completely – you want the sugar to form a coating on the nuts and it’s important that they are dry when you fry them. This may take overnight in a breezy or warm place. If you’re in a hurry, you can also dry them in an oven set to 100°C (200°F/Gas mark ¼). Once they’ve dried out, separate any that have stuck together. Heat up a wok or frying pan (skillet) with 3cm (1¼in.) of peanut (groundnut) or sunflower oil to 160°C (325°F) and add one third of the nuts. Fry them, stirring constantly, until they turn a medium caramel colour. Don’t overcook them as they will continue to cook for a few minutes even when you take them out of the oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on non-stick baking parchment or a baking sheet and leave to cool. (Don’t do as I did once and lay them on absorbent kitchen paper – the caramel coating will stick to it and it’s impossible to remove!) Leave to cool and store in an airtight jar.