I have often complained about my husband’s food allergies, he has a lot of them, which sadly limits us in the kitchen. For the longest time I was convinced that he was allergic to almonds. He gets a rash when he eats walnuts, and I just assumed that the two went hand in hand. Apparently they don’t, he fails to get itchy when he eats almonds and they are starting to appear in my kitchen more and more frequently.

Toasted almonds may be some of the most delicious treats out there, Southern Italy is filled with almond trees, which are now coming into bloom, so raw almonds are easy to find just about everywhere.  I have been toasting them to snack on, toasting them to sprinkle on food and dream of covering them one day with chocolate, for pure indulgence.

Risotto with sole, toasted almonds and roasted tomatoes

• 1 cup of Carnaroli or Arborio rice (Italians measure rice by demitasse cups, 1 cup for each person and one for the pot)
• 1 dozen cherry tomatoes
• 2-3 filets of sole, we had some leftover from the night before, but using fresh raw sole would work beautifully
• ½ an onion, chopped finely
• 1 cup of raw, blanched almonds
• 5 cups fish or vegetable stock
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 2 tbsp butter
• a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, minced
• salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the tomatoes before tossing them on a baking sheet with 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast the tomatoes for 5 to 10 minutes, until they have shriveled and browned a bit. Remove the skins, careful not to burn your little fingers.

Lower the heat in the oven 350°F. Spread the almonds in one layer on ungreased shallow baking pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden.

Chop the onion into fine pieces and bring the broth to a simmer. Heat a large stovetop casserole pan over medium-high heat and melt butter at the bottom of the pan. When the butter is melted add the onion and sauté until it is translucent. Add the rice and coat it in the butter, toasting it a bit. When the rice becomes opaque, after about 1 minute, add the wine to the pan, enough to cover the rice, stirring frequently.

When the rice has absorbed the wine, add the roasted tomatoes, the sole and a ladle of broth to the pan and continue stirring. Continue adding the broth as the rice absorbs it, you want it to almost dry out before adding the broth each time.

When the rice is finished it should be al dente and all of the liquid should be absorbed. Remove from heat and toss in the chopped almonds, a tab of butter and the parsley. Serve immediately.

We are currently on a trip in Cape Town, South Africa, so this will be my only post for the week, but the blog will be filled with all kinds of wonderful treats when we return.

Two Years Ago: Funghi Trifecta Risotto

Three Years Ago: Ziti alla Sorrentina

Four Years Ago: Beet and Blood Orange Salad & Red Snapper alla Ligure

~ by italicious on March 19, 2013.

Posted in almonds, gluten free, onions, parsley, primi, rice, risotto, sole, tomatoes
Tags: almonds, gluten free, Italian, main course, rice, risotto, roasted tomatoes, seafod, sole, tomatoes