Chinese Fried Pecans
Submitted by pks_nm
Chinese fried pecans soak whole pecan halves in boiling water, coat them in sugar, dry overnight, and fry to a crackling glazed shell. Restaurant-style sweet appetizer or party snack.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
24 hrsChinese fried pecans are the candied nuts you find on Chinese restaurant appetizer trays, with a glassy crackling sugar shell that shatters between your teeth. They take 24 hours start to finish but only 40 active minutes of work, with the long wait being passive air-drying time on the counter.
The blanching step is crucial. Three minutes in boiling water softens the pecan exterior just enough that the sugar can adhere and partially dissolve into the surface. Skipping this leaves you with dry pecans and sugar that falls off in the fryer.
Fry in small batches in oil just shy of smoking. The sugar melts in the hot oil and rehardens into the signature glaze as the nuts cool, so each batch needs space and high enough heat to caramelize properly without burning.
Chef Tips
- Air-dry the sugared nuts on a wire rack with airflow underneath, not directly on a platter
- The full 24 hours of drying makes the difference between glassy crunch and a soggy result
- Use vegetable, peanut, or canola oil with a high smoke point for clean frying
- Pull the nuts at the first sign of darkening. Carryover heat browns them further off-heat.
- Cool on parchment, never paper towels. The sugar sticks to the towel as it sets.
Variations
- Toss freshly fried nuts with five spice powder for a Chinese flavor twist
- Sub walnuts or cashews for the pecans, technique is identical
- Add a pinch of cayenne to the sugar before coating for sweet-spicy nuts
Ingredients
Directions
NOTE: This dish must be started a full 24 hours before you plan to serve it.
Put pecans in a large pot or heat-proof bowl.
Cover with boiling water and let them soak 3 minutes.
Drain the pecans and spread them in a single layer on a large platter or non-rusting cookie sheet.
Cover with sugar and stir until pecans are completely coated with the sugar.
(The sugar will dissolve slightly.)
You might have to add water if the nuts are too dry for the sugar to stick.
Transfer the sugared nuts to a dry platter and set them aside to air-dry overnight.
They really need to dry for 24 hours.
When ready to serve the pecans, bring the oil almost to the smoking point in a wok or large pot.
Fry one quarter of them at a time, being careful not to let them burn.
The sugar will melt.
Carefully remove the cooked nuts from the hot oil with a strainer and put them on a heatproof glass platter.
Fry each quarter of the nuts individually so all of them will get hot enough for the sugar to melt.
Serve immediately.
Comments
Better if you sprinkle them with salt after you fry them