Almonds, Devilled

A straightforward fried nut, but the fat will scorch the almonds long before the almonds tell you so. Work over moderate heat and keep them moving.

• The butter is counted twiceThe butter may be counted twice -- The recipe melts two ounces of butter, then says to fry in two ounces of butter. This is most likely one quantity repeated rather than four ounces in total: about 4 tablespoons (55 g) for half a pound of almonds. Clarified butter or ghee is a better choice, since milk solids in whole butter burn at the heat needed to colour nuts.
• Blanched sweet almonds"Sweet" distinguishes them from bitter almonds, which older books also sold; ordinary supermarket almonds are sweet. Blanched means skinned — pour boiling water over whole almonds, stand two minutes, drain, and slip off the skins. Blanched slivered or whole almonds sold ready-skinned work directly.
• Dry them before they meet the fatFreshly blanched almonds hold water and will spit violently in hot butter. Spread them on a towel and let them dry, or dry them briefly in a low oven, before frying.
• Heat and timingMedium heat, 6 to 10 minutes, shaking almost constantly. Pull them from the pan while they are a shade paler than you want — they carry on cooking in their own heat and go from golden to bitter quickly.
• Season after, not beforeThe original sprinkles cayenne and salt on before frying, and the cayenne can catch and turn acrid in hot butter. Tossing the drained hot almonds with fine salt and cayenne gives a cleaner heat; a scant teaspoon of salt and a quarter-teaspoon of cayenne suits half a pound.
• Blotting paperVictorian kitchens used unsized blotting paper to absorb fat. Paper towels or a wire rack over a tray do the same job. Spread them in a single layer so they crisp rather than steam.
• YieldHalf a pound (225 g) fills a good-sized bowl and serves eight to ten as a savoury with drinks. They keep about a week in a sealed tin, though the crispness is best on the first day.
• "Probable cost, 1s. 2d."The book prices most entries in pre-decimal shillings and pence. One shilling and twopence was not a trivial sum in the later nineteenth century, which suggests almonds were more of an occasional nibble than everyday food.