Veggie Annie's Skillet: Gochujang Praline Pecans
Unusually fresh, quick-and-easy meat / vegetarian / vegan recipes for everyone.
Gochujang and brown sugar together?! I feel like this changes EVERYTHING. Hurry up and make these simple and stunning candied nuts - you won’t regret a single thing! Now, this amount of gochujang paste will produce a very pleasant mild warmth in your mouth, which increases slightly as you eat more. The flavors are perfectly balanced between spicy and sweet, but if you’re a chili-head, you can certainly try adding more gochujang.
Gochujang Praline Pecans
5-15 minutes prep, 2 hours to cool.
Makes 3 cups
3 cups pecan halves
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon gochujang paste
1/2 packed cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon tamari
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 8-10 minutes. (Nuts in the oven will burn in a flash, so keep an eye on them. My oven holds the temperature correctly, and it takes 9 minutes to get to pleasantly toasty.)
While the pecans are toasting, melt 1/4 cup of butter in a 2 quart saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of gochujang paste, and 1/2 packed cup brown sugar, and bring to a full boil, stirring the whole time. Immediately turn the heat to low, and stir in 1 tablespoon of tamari and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. (Note that the mixture will foam up when you add the baking soda.)
Tip the toasted pecans into the saucepan, and, switching to a rubber spatula, mix everything til the pecans are completely coated with the mixture.
Turn pecans out onto a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment and spread them out. Allow to cool for 2 hours.
These pecans stay a bit deliciously sticky, so I would package them for giving by lining a cute container with waxed paper or parchment, then piling in the nuts. I like to keep these in the fridge, but it’s just for the texture, not for food safety. You can leave them at room temperature, if you prefer.