Man Can Cook #24 - Boston Baked Peanuts

Full disclosure, this dish is not my idea but the recipe below is of my own creation. A few years ago my wife and I visited New Orleans and ate at a joint called "Cochon". This dish was served as a side and I made a point of figuring out how to make it for myself. It's not exactly the same as Cochon's but it's different and delicious.

Hardware:

Large Casserole Pan
Mixing Bowl
Whisk

Software:

2lbs Boiled Peanuts (shelled & peeled)
1/2lb Quality Bacon (cut into 1/4"x1/2" lardon)
1 Medium Yellow Onion (julienne)
1/2c Molasses
1/3c Brown Sugar
2tsp Kosher Salt
1tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
1/2tsp Dry Mustard
1Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
5-6pats Butter
Hot water
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper or a dash or two of your favorite hot sauce

Fry the bacon until its a bit crisp. Reserve about 1/4 of the fat and place it and the bacon into your casserole dish along with the peanuts and onions. Combine other ingredients and add to casserole dish add enough hot water to just barely cover the peanuts. It should look a bit like this.

Foil the casserole dish and pop it in a 400deg oven for ~2hrs. Check it every so often giving it a stir and testing the peanuts for tenderness. When they are getting very close, remove the foil and allow the liquid to reduce. It should look about like this when done.

Serve with other similarly southern themed dishes such as cornbread and BBQ.

Enjoy!