Peanut and black rice salad with mango
This is a deliciously refreshing salad and looks stunning with the contrast of the black rice and striking orange mango. If you can find alphonso mangoes from Pakistan, buy them – their unique smell and flavour is quite something.
Serves 4
180g black rice, well rinsed and soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 small red chillis, finely chopped
6 spring onions, finely sliced
1 red onion, finely sliced
50g dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
2 small, just-ripe mangoes, peeled
1 tbsp fish sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Salt and black pepper
1 Cook the rice in salted water for around 18‑20 minutes until just tender, then drainwell and transfer to a bowl.
2 Spoon the oil over the rice and stir in along with the chilli, spring and red onions and the peanuts. De-stone the mangoes and cut into 2cm chunks – mix half through the rice and reserve half. Whisk together the fish sauce and lime juice. Season the rice and then dividebetween serving plates, top with the remaining mango and the fish sauce dressing and then finish with the fresh coriander.
Recipe supplied by Ben Tish, saltyardgroup.co.uk
West African peanut soup
Peanuts, or groundnuts, are used liberally in the soups and stews of west Africa. There are recipes with smoked fish, chicken or beef. This lightly spiced version with sweet potato may not be totally authentic – the locals probably aren't using peanut butter – but it certainly makes for a super-quick and scrumptious supper dish. Be sure to use unsweetened, organic peanut butter that has no additives, or alternatively grind your own roasted peanutsand add a good pinch of salt.
Serves 4
2 tbsp vegetable oil such as sunflower, groundnut or rapeseed
1 onion, roughly diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, finely diced
A large pinch of chilli flakes or ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
A large pinch of ground cinnamon
2 orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
400g can of chopped tomatoes
300ml vegetable or chicken stock
3 tbsp organic smooth peanut butter
Juice of ½ lime
A few leaves of fresh coriander, to garnish
Salt and black pepper
1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, cumin and cinnamon, then stir until you can smell the fabulous aromas.
2 Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat in the spices, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Tip in the tomatoes and stock, and bubble away gently for about 10 minutes, untilthe sweet potato is soft.
3 Spoon the peanut butter into a small bowl, stir in enough of the soup broth to make a smooth cream and then add to the soup.
4 Using a hand-held blender or potato masher, puree some of the potato. You can leave some lumps in the soup, or you may prefer to blitz the lot in a blender.
5 Season with salt, black pepper and lime juice, sprinkle with some coriander and serve.
Pulse by Jenny Chandler (Pavilion)
Lamb chops, cucumber, peanut faraal
The monocled, top-hatted Planters peanut mascot would surely be twirling his cane with satisfaction after a plate of this. Peanuts, fresh cucumber and sticky lamb chops. Yum.
Serves 4
1 cucumber
200g peanuts
250g yoghurt
½ tsp honey
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 tsp chilli flakes
12 lamb chops
1 Roughly slice your cucumber diagonally – leave the pith in the middle, as it will add a little moisture later on.
2 To make the faraal, preheat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3½, then roast the peanuts for 8 minutes.
3 Roughly blitz the peanuts in a blender then add the yoghurt, honey, lemon and chilli.
4 Heat a frying pan over a high heat, then sear the lamb chops in batches, being careful not to overcrowd them. Load them on to a big baking tray and roast in the oven at the same temperature for 7-10 minutes, or until they are done to your liking.
5 Toss the cucumber slices in some of the faraal, then arrange them on a plate alongside the chops. Serve with more faraal fordipping.
Recipe supplied by Patrick Hanna, L'Entrepot, lentrepot.co.uk
Gluten-free salted peanut butter and chocolate tart
Imagine eating a tart version of a Reese's peanut butter cup. This is it. Your tastebuds will sing, even though your waistline could begin to groan.
Serves 6
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
250g icing sugar
1 large egg
¼ tsp salt
200g gluten-free flour mix
For the filling
125g creamy peanut butter
60g icing sugar, sifted
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
For the glaze
125ml cream
110g caster sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp honey
½ cup cocoa powder, sifted
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 To make the base, beat the butter and powdered sugar together until fluffy. Addthe egg and salt, then beat to combine. Addthe gluten-free flour mix, then knead intoa ball on a floured work surface. Flatten the dough, wrap in clingfilm and chill for2-4hours.
2 Cut the dough in half, then roll it out until it is about 5mm thick. Use it to line an approx 20cm tart ring case and chill for 30 minutes, then bake at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges turn golden. Cool for a few minutes, then prepare the fillings.
3 For the filling, blend all the ingredients together in a food processor or with a handheld mixer until completely combined. Using a spatula or a knife, spoon out the mixture and spread it into the tart until even and smooth. Put in the fridge to chill.
4 Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. Heatthe cream, sugar, butter and honey inasmall saucepan until melted and warm. Whiskin the sifted cocoa powder and vanilla extract until smooth, then strain through afine sieve to remove any lumps.
5 Pour the chocolate glaze on top of the peanut butter layer and chill for at least 30minutes. Sprinkle some salt on top, ifyoulike. The tart is best eaten straight outofthe fridge, but it's just as indulgent atroomtemperature.
Recipe supplied by Kylie Antolini, thebakingbird.com
Oven-baked beets with honey, salty peanuts and feta
Salty peanuts are a fabulous flavour component. Add a handful to any salad and you get a rich and creamy taste, plus some extra fat to keep you full and satisfied.
Serves 4 as a side dish
1 kg beetroots, peeled and cut into cubes or wedges
2 tbsp thyme, finely chopped
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
A bunch of fresh parsley, washed, coarsely chopped
100g salty peanuts
100g feta cheese
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Mix the beetroots in a ovenproof dish with the thyme, honey, oil and salt. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes. On a platter, or in a serving bowl, mix the beetroots with the parsley and peanuts. Top with chunks of soft delicious feta cheese.
Recipe supplied by Josephine Kofod, atastylovestory.com
Homemade crunchy peanut butter with maple syrup
Grinding the peanuts in three separate textures adds a decadent crunch.
Makes 1 large jar
1kg peanuts, blanched
20ml hazelnut oil or other flavourless oil
20ml maple syrup
20g icing sugar
10g salt
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Spread out all the peanuts on a baking tray, then roast for 10 minutes. Turn them with a metal spoon then put them back in the oven, checking and turning every 5 minutes until they are a dark caramel colour, which will intensify their flavour. When the peanuts areroasted, set aside.
2 Once the peanuts have cooled, put 600g of them into a food processor along with the salt,then blitz on full power. You will see thepeanuts at first go into a rough crumb, then transform into a coarse paste. At this point, add your hazelnut oil a few drops at atime and the mixture will turn to a really smooth, dark-brown paste. This should all happen within a couple of minutes.
3 Add the maple syrup and icing sugar, then blitz for a few seconds. Now add another 200gof the roasted peanuts and blitz on full speed for a couple of seconds, to create a great, crunchytexture.
4 Finally, stir in the remaining 200g peanuts until they have thoroughly combined with therest of the peanut butter.
Recipe supplied by White Rabbit, whiterabbitdalston.com
Roasted broccoli and satay sauce
The nuttiness of this dish works well with any broccoli, but try using some of the purple sprouting variety to add interest.
Serves 4
1 large head of broccoli
1 small red chilli, de-seeded and chopped (more if you like it hotter)
20g brown sugar
1 can coconut milk
100g crunchy peanut butter
30g dark soy sauce
50g unsalted peanuts, toasted
1 Preheat the oven to 210C/425F/gas mark 7. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Break the broccoli into large florets. Drop into the water and blanch for 30 seconds.
2 Remove from the water, drain well and add to an oiled roasting tray. Roast in the oven for around 10 minutes or until slightly charred.
3 Sweat the chilli in a little oil for around 30seconds, add the sugar and allow it to brown alittle. As soon as the sugar browns, carefully add the coconut milk and allow ittosimmer for 10-15 minutes so that itbecomesthicker.
4 Next, add the peanut butter a little at a time and whisk in to incorporate, then add the soy.
5 To serve, spoon some sauce on a plate, add the broccoli, drizzle over some more sauce and garnish with the toasted peanuts.
Recipe supplied by Andrew Dargue, Little Orchard, orchard-kitchen.co.uk
Peanut and caramel croissants de lune
These are delicious served with a cup of Moroccan mint tea, and will keep well inasealed container for several days.
Makes 35
250g butter, softened
160g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, plus 1 beaten, to glaze
850g flour
For the filling
1 x 400g tin caramel
500g peanuts, roasted and ground
1 To make the biscuits, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter with the caster sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Next, add the four eggs one by one, before slowly sifting in the flour, mixing all the while. Once the mixture has come together, knead well with your hands until you get firm, smooth dough.
2 Tip the dough out on to a slightly floured surface and roll out to 3mm thickness. Then, using a cookie cutter or knife, cut the dough ina crescent moon shape and repeat until all the dough is used.
3 Lay the crescents on a baking tray covered with baking paper, and brush with the extra beaten egg. Bake for around 10 minutes until golden brown (time may vary depending on power of the oven, so best to keep an eye on them). Cool on a wire rack.
4 To make the filling, mix the caramel with theground peanuts until combined, spread agenerous layer of filling on one biscuit, thensandwich it with another.
Recipe supplied by Philippe Agnello, MomoRestaurant, momoresto.com
Roasted peanuts with rosemary and garlic
These salty roasted peanuts, which have been tumbled with crispy rosemary and sweet, soft cloves of garlic, rustic in their papery skins, make a brilliant light snack. It's anice thing toset out at a party or to nibble onwhile watching a film.
Makes about 450g
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
12 garlic cloves, skin-on
6 tbsp rosemary leaves
450g peanuts, preferably a small Spanish variety, salted and roasted in their skins
1 tbsp salt
5 dried pequin chillies or 5 pinches of red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 Heat the olive oil in a wide pan with high sides over a medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the garlic cloves, adjust the heat as necessary to keep them at a steady sizzle, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the garlic has some golden brown spots and the skins begin to split and blister. Tip the pan occasionally so the oil pools and almost coversthe cloves.
2 Push the garlic to one side of the pan, put the rosemary in the oil next to the garlic, and add the peanuts to the space remaining in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and let the rosemary sizzle in the oil for a minute, stirring it a little, then stir it all together. Let them all quietly and steadily sizzle for about 4 minutes – you're infusing the flavours into the peanuts and reinvigorating them, as well as cooking the garlic more so it'll be soft and creamy. Stir and toss the peanuts often, so they all get to spend some time against the bottom of the pan.
3 Sprinkle on the salt, crumble in the chillies, stir well and cook for a minute more.
4 Take the pan off the heat and let the peanutscarry on cooking gently in the hot pan, stirringnow and then, until they've cooled a bit. Taste, and stir in a more salt orcrumbled chillies if you fancy it. Serve warm or at room temperature.
A Girl and her Pig, by AprilBloomfield (Canongate)
Baked smoked salmon, miso peanut butter, crunchy salad and lime
Warm smoked salmon is delightful whether cooked in oil at 40C, grilled, or gently baked, as in this recipe. It does become saltier, so don't season it further. Miso paste is really versatile and keeps for months – try mixing it with mayonnaise or adding it to curries.
Serves 4
4 x 50g pieces of smoked salmon fillet, unsliced andskinned
Vegetable oil
For the salad
½ fennel bulb
1 large carrot, peeled
6 radishes
½ red onion
Handful of beansprouts, washed
1 lime
Pinch of coriander seeds
Pinch of fennel seeds
1 tbsp chopped coriander
A splash of fish sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil
For the peanut butter
4 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tsp miso paste
1 splash of rice or cider vinegar
1 splash of chilli oil
The juice of ½ a lime
4 tbsp hot water
½ a small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 To prepare the salmon: grease an oven tray with a little vegetable oil, bake the salmon at 140C/275F for 8-10 minutes. Ideally it should be coloured on the outside but deep pink in the middle.
2 Slice the vegetables as thinly as possible, not including the sprouts (a mandolin can be good for this). Juice and zest the lime and combine with all the other ingredients.
3 Blend all the peanut butter ingredients in afood processor; add a little more water if itbecomes too thick.
4 To serve, divide the salad between four plates, top with a piece of salmon and a dollop of miso and peanut butter.
Recipe supplied by Eric Snaith, Titchwell Manor, titchwellmanor.com
