The Simple Ingredient To Amplify The Flavor Of Any Nut

During the holidays, we may enjoy chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but it's the new year now, and we're back to our old nutty habits. That means consuming peanuts, almonds, and walnuts, the most popular nuts in the world, according to World Atlas -– chestnuts didn't even make the top 10. We add them to salads and stir-fries, bake them into desserts, and down handfuls of trail mix. And one cozy way to enjoy nuts during the winter months is to roast them.

According to Akeso Health Sciences, there are two main ways to roast nuts -– dry roasting or with a little bit of oil. This is best done in the oven, Bon Appétit shares, because the heat will spread more evenly than on the stove and you can avoid charring the nuts. Although it may take a little extra work, roasting them at home instead of buying them from the grocery store is worth it. You'll get a crisp texture and strong flavor, and your house will smell heavenly. According to The Kitchn, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, and almonds are perfect contenders for toasting. And although you can accomplish this in a few ways, there is one ingredient that will help you create the tastiest roasted nuts.

If you're roasting nuts for a baked dish, Akeso Health Sciences recommends putting them in the oven dry, as tossing them in oil will add unnecessary fats to your recipe. For almost any other type of dish, however, roasting nuts in oil is a beneficial method. You shouldn't need much -– The Kitchn suggests using a teaspoon or two, and adding more only if needed. If you're really looking to make a decadent snack, try making a glaze with potato starch for ultra-crispy roasted peanuts. Then spread them out evenly on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven, watching closely to make sure they don't burn.

If you're roasting nuts in oil, how do you know which one works best? According to Food & Wine, the best way to enhance the flavor of any nut is to coat it in its own nut oil. That means pistachio oil for pistachios, peanut oil for peanuts, almond oil for almonds...you get the idea. The Kitchn enjoys using this technique as well for maximum flavor, noting that it has jars of specific nut oil just for this purpose. Not only will you be bringing out the tastes of your nuts by roasting them, but coating them in their nut oil will double down on flavor.