Tablèt pistach — peanut brittle with rapadou
A golden brittle of peanuts in a brown cane sugar caramel flavored with ginger. Crunchy, intensely sweet with a bitter edge from the rapadou — the festive treat.
A golden brittle of peanuts in a brown cane sugar caramel flavored with ginger. Crunchy, intensely sweet with a bitter edge from the rapadou — the festive treat.
When Fèt Gede comes and all Haiti dances on my grave, we break out the sugar! Tablèt pistach, crunchy, sticky on the teeth, full of my dear peanuts — that's how you celebrate the dead properly: laughing, chewing, drinking. Bite into it, feel the ginger sting and the rapadou sweeten: it's my way of telling you that death, my friend, can be one hell of a party.
- •Roasted shelled peanuts — two bowls (heart of the brittle)
- •Rapadou (whole cane sugar) — one block (caramel)
- •Fresh grated ginger — a piece (warm heat)
- •Water — a little (dissolve sugar)
Tablèt pistach — peanut brittle with rapadou
A golden brittle of peanuts in a brown cane sugar caramel flavored with ginger. Crunchy, intensely sweet with a bitter edge from the rapadou — the festive treat.
Why this dish? For the great feast of the dead (Fèt Gede, early November), sweets are shared. Tablèt pistach, peanut brittle with cane sugar, joins the peanut dear to the Baron in a festive form.
When Fèt Gede comes and all Haiti dances on my grave, we break out the sugar! Tablèt pistach, crunchy, sticky on the teeth, full of my dear peanuts — that's how you celebrate the dead properly: laughing, chewing, drinking. Bite into it, feel the ginger sting and the rapadou sweeten: it's my way of telling you that death, my friend, can be one hell of a party.
Ingredients (period version)
- Roasted shelled peanuts — two bowls (heart of the brittle)
- Rapadou (whole cane sugar) — one block (caramel)
- Fresh grated ginger — a piece (warm heat)
- Water — a little (dissolve sugar)
Ingredients
- Unsalted roasted peanuts — 200 g (crunchy base)
- Brown sugar / rapadura — 200 g (caramel)
- Fresh grated ginger — 1 tsp (spicy flavor)
- Water — 3 tbsp (dissolve sugar)
- Butter (optional) — 1 knob (caramel softness)
Method
- Melt sugar with water and ginger in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, without stirring, until an amber caramel forms.
- Remove from heat, add butter then peanuts, mix quickly to coat evenly.
- Pour onto an oiled baking sheet or parchment paper, spread into a layer.
- While still warm, mark squares with an oiled knife.
- Let harden completely, then break into pieces.
How it was made : Tablèt (sometimes tablèt pistach or tablèt kòk) is a traditional Haitian confectionery sold on the street, made from caramelized cane sugar and seeds (peanuts, coconut, sesame). Rapadou, raw cane sugar, gives it its characteristic bitter note.
The contemporary twist : Pour the caramel into small skull-shaped or cross-shaped molds for Fèt Gede.
Sources : Mona Cassion Destiné, La Cuisine de chez nous: Haitian Cuisine (1998)
Baron Samedi · Charactorium