• Yield: Makes 1 pound. This recipe can be scaled up indefinitely.


Roasting blanched almonds very slowly insures that they remain crisp for several weeks. In addition to bundling them with bottles of bone-dry Manzanilla sherry as gifts, I often serve the combination when friends drop by for cocktails.

 

Ingredients

 

  • 1 pound blanched whole almonds, about 2-2/3 cups

  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

  • Fine sea salt

 

Instructions

 

1. Preheat the oven to 300° F. Scatter the almonds on a heavy sheet pan. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat well.

 

2. Roast the almonds until they are honey colored, 40-45 minutes, rearranging them occasionally with a spatula. Turn off the oven and leave the door open for 30 seconds to cool it down slightly. Close the door and let the almonds dry out until the oven is completely cool. Sprinkle with sea salt and toss to coat. Pack the almonds into tins, jars or wooden boxes.

Sally Schneider
A former chef, Sally Schneider has won numerous awards—including four James Beard awards—for her books and magazine writing. She is creator of the lifestyle blog Improvised Life, a featured blogger on The Atlantic Monthly's Food Blog, and author of The Improvisational Cook and A New Way to Cook. She has served as a contributing editor to both Saveur and Food & Wine, and her work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times Magazine, Saveur, Food & Wine, SELF and Connoisseur.