Caramalised almonds with chilli and cumin

This recipie is great to have on hand for when  guests come over and your looking for soomething a little more exiting than salted peanuts or a bag of chips. I think it was taken from one of Ramseys earlier books and is a recipie i had on the menu whilst working at the Smokehouse cafe in Mapua, formerly one of New Zealands highly awarded cafes,

1 1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt - Although expensive it adds a lot to dishes and is a worthwhile inclusion
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin- for extra depth roast off cumin seeds and grind before adding
Dried chilli flakes to taste about a tsp or so
1 tbsp caster sugar
45ml peanut oil- enough to coat and lightly saute the almonds
360g whole almonds
125g caster sugar

METHOD

In a bowl, mix together salt, cumin, hot chilli flakes, and
1 tbsp sugar.

Heat oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add almonds and sprinkle the 125g sugar over the nuts.

Sauté almonds until they become golden brown and begin to crackle continue stirring until the sugar has caramelised (this will take about 8-12 minutes; do not allow the sugar to burn).

Remove almonds from the pan and toss them with spices in a lightly oiled or sprayed bowl. Stir or toss quickly to ensure spices are spread evenly over nuts.

Spray a baking tray and pour nuts onto tray to cool. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container. If the nuts are kept airtight in a clean and dry container, they will keep well.