Brine-Roasted Sunflower Seeds

From the garden

• 4 cups sunflower seeds, still in the shell, rubbed from a dried head · roughly one mammoth head

From the pantry

• 2 tsp vegetable oil · just enough for the seasoning to cling
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional) · for a smoky batch
• ¼ cup coarse salt · for the brine, plus a pinch to finish
• black pepper · a few grinds

1. Rub the seeds free of the dried head over a wide bowl, working with a gloved hand or a stiff brush, then tip them into cold water and skim off the chaff and the empty shells that float.
2. Simmer the drained seeds in 8 cups of water with the salt for 20 minutes at a bare bubble, which is what carries the cure through the shell and into the kernel. For a deeper flavor, cool the pot and hold the seeds in the brine overnight in the refrigerator instead.
3. Heat the oven to 300°F. Drain the seeds, pat them dry in a towel, toss with the oil and the smoked paprika, and spread them one layer deep on a sheet pan.
4. Roast 30–40 minutes, stirring every 10, until the shells are dry and toasted and a cracked kernel is golden and crisp all the way through rather than chewy.
5. Cool completely on the pan, where the last of the crispness sets, then finish with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper and set out an empty bowl for the shells.