Macadamia nuts in Chile

For an appetizer, why not serve seasoned and roasted macadamia nuts at home? I suggest this ultra fast recipe to impress your guests. It is absolutely irresistible…! They can be served while still warm, or even hot and spicy! Because these macadamia nuts are spiced up just right! I am posting this recipe because more than a decade ago, I used to buy these chili nuts at Marks&Spencers in Paris. I was literally crazy about it. We can imagine   the drama when the stores closed in France. How was I going to do it? I later went several times to Australia where my best friend lives, in Perth, and I found with difficulty those chili macadamia nuts. But rather than making that leap of faith, I find it easier to develop an “in-house” equivalent. So here is my “mix” to season my nuts that I roast and serve hot for a colorful aperitif! 

Recipe for 400g of macadamia nuts with chili:

-400g of raw macadamia nuts

-2 tablespoons of oil

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon paprika

-1 level teaspoon (or more!!) of hot pepper powder

-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (not semolina…!! and optional…)

-2 pinches of sugar

Place macadamia nuts in a large bowl. 

Pour in the two tablespoons of oil. This will serve to “stick” the spices on the nuts. 

Shake the bowl up and down to distribute the oil. 

Place the nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Cook for 10-12 minutes at 180°C, stirring halfway through cooking. 

Put the nuts back into the bowl (which will have been washed and cleaned). Add salt. Stir the bowl well.

Paprika.

Add the chili powder. Always stir the bowl. Shake the bowl as long as necessary! 

Add garlic powder and sugar. As for garlic powder, it can be found in Chinese grocery stores (such as Tang or Paris Store). I believe that in Switzerland, this is also very easy to find. But if you don’t have it on hand, you might as well do without it because garlic semolina won’t give you the same result! 

Stir well, it’s ready! 

Serve the nuts while still warm as an appetizer! They can be kept in an airtight box for a long time…