Salted nuts are made wherever they’re grown and are infinitely better than nuts from a jar or can. Note that these are not fried—there is no additional oil—but roasted. This basic, easy recipe can also be used for whole almonds or hazelnuts.

　　

Ingredients

makes 2 cups, enough for 8 as a snack

　　2 cups walnut halves

　　2 teaspoons coarse salt

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Run cold water over the walnuts and, without drying, put them in one layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the salt over them and bake, without stirring, until light brown and fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and serve, or hold at room temperature for up to a few hours.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.