Spiced Pistachios

From Crazy Good Italian by Mike Isabella. This recipe calls for making a garlic infused olive oil ahead of time.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• Pistachios

• 1⁄4 cup garlic oil (recipe below)
• 2  teaspoons  fresh oregano leaves
• 2  teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  coriander seed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon caraway seed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  red chili pepper flakes
• 2  tablespoons sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  ground aleppo pepper (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  ground  smoked paprika
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1  lb  roasted salted pistachios (in the shell)

• Garlic Oil

• 1 1⁄2 cups  extra  virgin olive oil
• 6  garlic cloves, peeled

Directions

1. Make the Garlic Oil: Heat the olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring to make sure the garlic cloves are coated in oil. Lower the heat to keep warm for an additional 35–40 minutes, moving the garlic around the pan every so often to prevent burning.
2. Let the oil and garlic cool to room temperature. Store, covered, in the refrigerator up to 30 days. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
3. Do not discard the garlic cloves. They are just like roasted garlic and can be used in recipes or spread on toast.
4. Make the Pistachios: Preheat the oven to 400°F Blend the Garlic Oil, oregano, and rosemary in a blender on high speed for 2–3 minutes, until the herbs are fully incorporated. Toast the fennel, coriander, and caraway seeds in a sauté pan over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, shaking the pan often to prevent burning.
5. Transfer the seeds to a spice grinder or a mini food processor, add the chili flakes, and grind to a fine powder.
6. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground seed mixture, sugar, Aleppo pepper, paprika, and salt.
7. Place the pistachios in a roasting pan. Combine the pistachios with the blended oil mixture, add the spice blend, and stir until evenly coated. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Makes approximately 2 cups. Can be stored at room temperature for three days.