36 The NaTioNal CuliNary review • april 2018

in the Pantry peanuts

aBove: virginia Willis tosses a field greens salad in peanut oil and serves it with a deviled egg.

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T ake a close look at restaurant menus: Dishes featuring walnuts, almonds and pecans abound, while one nut—the

peanut—is often left out.Steven Satterfield, James Beard award-winning executive

chef/co-owner of Miller Union in Atlanta, thinks it’s a mistake to overlook the humble peanut. “Restaurant chefs tend to lean toward more exotic nuts like pistachios and pecans, but peanuts are a lot more versatile than some of those other nuts,” he says. “Peanuts can be sweet or savory, add crunch and texture, and

have a real depth of flavor. When a peanut is in a dish, it makes a little noise.”

The flavorful ingredient works well in dishes ranging from sweet potato/peanut soup and sauteed collard greens with roasted

peanuts to peanut-coated fried chicken wings and, of course, peanut butter pie. Creative mixologists might even feature peanuts in the bar

program, pairing salted peanut-infused rum with Coca-Cola.“Peanuts are diverse ingredients,” Satterfield says.

A world of inspirationThe ubiquitous nut is not a nut at all. Peanuts are legumes, like beans, peas and

lentils, that grow underground and are plucked from the soil starting in late summer. “There is an earthiness to them, which is obvious because of how peanuts are grown,” says chef and James Beard award-winning cookbook author Virginia Willis.

Popular around the world, peanuts are common ingredients in Thai, Indian, African and Indonesian dishes. In fact, chefs often look to international cuisines for inspiration. Rob Connoley, chef/owner of Bulrush STL and Squatter’s

PeanutsThe versatile nut adds

crunch, texture and amazing flavor to many dishes on the menu.

By Jodi Helmer

38 The NaTioNal CuliNary review • april 2018

in the Pantry peanuts

Café in St. Louis, created a new interpretation of African groundnut stew using deep-fried chickpea cakes, kale sauteed in green peanut oil and toasted peanuts in place of traditional ingredients such as polenta. Satterfield traded tahini for ground peanuts for a modern version of baba ghanoush.

Most peanuts are grown in Southern states—Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Virginia—

making them a natural ingredient in Southern cooking.“I see peanuts as another staple in Southern pantries,” Willis says. “Forward-

thinking Southern chefs are researching historic dishes made with peanuts and looking for creative ways to put peanuts on their menus.”

The field pea/peanut salad at Miller Union made with blanched field peas, shucked boiled peanuts, roasted tomatoes and peppers tossed in light vinaigrette, served over housemade lemon ricotta, is a staple during the summer months when green peanuts are in season. The dish has a cult following. “I could never not have it on the menu,” Satterfield says. “It’s a great way to celebrate the boiled peanut in an elevated way.”

Focus on flavorPeanuts come in multiple varieties, each with its own distinct flavor. Runner

peanuts, the most common peanuts grown in the U.S., is the staple ingredient in peanut butter. Valencia peanuts are sweeter, and Spanish peanuts, thanks to their high oil content, have the nuttiest flavor.

To make the most of the versatile nut, Connoley suggests experimenting with different varieties in different dishes. “Chefs are always trying to tease out

Boiled Peanut and Field Pea SaladSteven Satterfield, Executive Chef/Co-Owner Miller Union Atlanta

Yield: 4 servings

½ cup blanched raw peanuts

3 T. peanut oil, divided

1 large ripe tomato

1 sweet bell pepper

1 cup field peas, blanched

1 cup shelled boiled peanuts (recipe follows)

1 T. sherry vinegar

½ cup lemon ricotta (recipe follows)

1 t. chopped fresh mint

1 t. chopped fresh basil

1. Toss blanched raw peanuts in 2 t. peanut oil. In 350ºF oven, roast for 15 minutes or until golden.

2. Adjust oven to broil. Lightly coat tomato and bell pepper with 1 t. peanut oil; place on roasting pan 4-5 inches below broiler. Turning occasionally with tongs to broil evenly, char tomato and pepper. Remove from heat; cool. Peel blistered skin of tomato and pepper over bowl to catch juices. Strain juice; reserve. Dice tomato and pepper; add reserved juice.

3. In small bowl, combine field peas and boiled peanuts. Add tomato/pepper mixture, sherry vinegar and remaining 2 T. peanut oil. Season lightly with salt.

4. Divide ricotta among four individual shallow bowls; spread across center of each bowl. Spoon salad ingredients over ricotta. Top each salad with toasted peanuts. Sprinkle with mint and basil.

Boiled Peanuts5 lbs. green peanuts, washed, picked over

3 gallons water

3 cups Diamond Crystal kosher salt

2 cups apple cider vinegar

method: In large stockpot with lid, combine peanuts, water, salt and vinegar. Bring to a simmer over high heat; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for a minimum of 4 hours, or until peanuts are tender.

Lemon Ricotta1 cup lemon juice + zest from lemons

2 T. fine sea salt

13 cups whole milk

3 cups heavy cream

method: In glass bowl or measuring cup, combine lemon juice, zest and salt; stir to dissolve salt. Set aside. In 6-quart stainless-steel pot, combine milk and cream. Turn heat to medium. Strain lemon juice mixture to remove zest; add to milk/cream mixture. When milk/lemon mixture starts to simmer, remove from heat. Allow to sit undisturbed in pot until temperature reaches 80ºF. Ladle mixture into cheesecloth-lined sieve over tall container. Allow cheese to drain until reaches desired consistency. Save some whey to stir in if cheese gets too firm.

PH

OTO

CR

EDITS Left, M

iller Union; bottom

, Charles G

uthrie/Coffee-w

alk; opposite, from Secrets of the Southern Table ©

2018 by Virginia Willis. P

hotos by Angie M

osier. Reproduced by perm

ission of Houghton M

ifflin Harcourt. A

ll rights reserved.

BeloW: savory peanut butter mousse with sumac, fried kale, chickpeas and pickled rhubarb from rob connoley, Bulrush stl.

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different flavors and textures,” he says. “When you know about different peanut varieties, it opens up new possibilities for cooking.”

When cooking with ingredients that have dominant flavors, such as peanuts, achieving a balance is important. Peanuts tend to pair well with heartier proteins such as grass-fed beef, but can overwhelm milder dishes, including fish, according to Willis. “Other nuts can fade into the background and add more texture than flavor,” she says. “Peanuts are flavor-forward nuts with a distinctive taste.”

Although there are myriad ways to feature raw (salted and unsalted) peanuts and boiled peanuts in recipes, adding rich peanut flavor doesn’t necessarily require working with the nuts. The groundnuts are also the base ingredients for peanut oils, peanut flour and, of course, peanut butter.

Willis loves using green peanut oil in salad dressings or as a finishing oil. “Adding a spoonful of peanut butter into a sauce gives it another layer of oiliness and amazing flavor,” she says.

Sweet and satisfyingThanks to its association with peanut butter, peanuts are often considered

comfort food. Peanuts pair well with caramel and chocolate, and, thanks to a natural hint of sweetness, the nuts are a popular addition to desserts ranging from ice cream and cheesecake to peanut butter cookies and peanut brittle.

At Bulrush STL, peanut butter pie is among the most popular desserts on the menu. Connoley uses a mix of shelled unroasted peanuts and peanut butter for over-the-top peanut flavor. It’s a popular dessert, he says, because it combines the sweetness of sugar and honey with the saltiness of peanuts, and the addition of peanut butter adds a creamy texture. Guests also have a strong emotional connection to traditional desserts such as peanut butter pie. “I often look to childhood to find inspiration and evolve it to current tastes,” he says.

Inspired by the traditional pairing of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Connoley has also paired peanuts with grapes, apricots and other fruits. Peanut panna cotta with apple butter peanut brittle and grape sorbet is one elevated interpretation of the childhood classic. Baking with salted nuts adds another flavor element.

Sometimes, peanuts are meant to be eaten the old-fashioned way: peanut butter spread between two slices of bread. Or, in the South, boiled peanuts hot from a roadside stand as a snack on a road trip. Or salted and dropped into the bottom of an ice-cold bottle of Coca-Cola.

“Peanuts are nostalgic,” Willis says. “You don’t need to make them highbrow. Some of the most basic flavors are just meant to be.”

JODI HELMER IS A NORTH CAROLINA-BASED FOOD WRITER WHOSE WORk HAS APPEARED IN HEMISPHERES, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER, FARM LIFE AND AMERICAN WAy, AMONG OTHERS.

Garlic-Rubbed Skirt Steak and Vidalia Onions with Peanut RomescoVirginia Willis, Chef/Cookbook Author Virginia Willis Culinary Enterprises, Inc. Atlanta

Yield: 4-6 servings

In this age of season-less grocery stores, where strawberries and squash are always available, Vidalia onions remain a spring treat, with a harvest from late April through mid-June. Every spring, many Southerners buy a big mesh sack of these sweet onions and store them in a cool, dry place for as long as they’ll last. Here, their unique sweetness provides a complement to rich steak and tangy romesco sauce. The sauce makes about 2 cups and can be doubled.

Skirt steak is a long, thin cut of beef from the diaphragm muscles of the cow. It is lean and fibrous with an intense beefy flavor, and is often used in fajitas. Skirt steak is best cooked over high heat and should only be cooked to rare or medium-rare. To serve, cut across the grain of the meat.

2 lbs. skirt, hanger or flank steak

6 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with salt

2 T. pure olive oil

2-3 large sweet onions, preferably Vidalia, sliced

½ cup roasted peanuts

1 (12 oz.) jar roasted red bell peppers

½ cup tomato puree

2 garlic cloves + more for garnish

1 slice country white bread, toasted, crumbled

1 T. smoked paprika

¹⁄³ cup sherry vinegar

²⁄³ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Pat the steak dry with paper towels. Place in large bowl; slather garlic paste and olive oil all over meat, turning to coat. Add onions. Cover; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

2. Grind peanuts in food processor. Add roasted peppers, tomato puree, garlic, bread and paprika. Process to a paste. Add vinegar; pulse to blend. With motor running, gradually pour oil through feed tube in steady stream until mixture thickens like mayonnaise. Taste; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl.

3. Scrape excess garlic paste off beef; discard. If using a charcoal grill, prepare fire with about 6 lbs. charcoal; burn until coals are completely covered with thin coating of light-gray ash, 20-30 minutes. Spread coals evenly over grill bottom; position grill rack above coals. Heat until medium-hot. If using a gas grill, turn burners to high, close lid and heat until about 500°F, 10-15 minutes. If using a grill pan, heat pan over medium-high heat.

4. Grill meat and onions over direct heat until char lines appear, meat is done to taste, and onions are tender and charred, 3-5 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing meat across grain. Serve steak and onions with romesco sauce on side.

“Garlic-rubbed Skirt Steak and Vidalia Onions with Peanut Romesco” is excerpted from Secrets of the Southern Table © 2018 by Virginia Willis. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.