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1
Preheat the oven to 375F.
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2
Spread the almonds on a baking sheet, and toast 8 to 10 minutes, until theyre slightly darkened and smell nutty.
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3
Cut the dates in half lengthwise and remove the pits.
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4
Slice the stem and blossom ends from the blood oranges.
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5
Stand the blood oranges on one end and, following the contour of the fruit with your knife, remove the peel and white cottony pith.
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6
Work from top to bottom, rotating the fruit as you go.
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7
Slice each orange thinly, into 8 to 10 pinwheels.
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8
Place the Parmigiano-Reggiano, flat side down, on a cutting board.
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9
Using a chefs knife, shave eighteen large thin slices of cheese from the hunk.
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10
Scatter one-third of the arugula on a large platter.
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11
Arrange one-third of the oranges, dates, cheese, and nuts.
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12
Scatter another layer of arugula, and continue layering in the same manner, letting the ingredients intertwine together but not pile up on one another.
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13
Drizzle the almond oil over the salad, and season lightly with fleur de sel, pepper, and a squeeze of blood orange juice.
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14
Use an artisanal unfiltered almond oil, such as Huilerie Leblanc (see sources).
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15
The best nut oils are stone-ground and pressed into a pale brown full-flavored oil.
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16
If its clear and looks like vegetable oil, it wont have the intense, toasted nut flavor were looking for.
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17
If you cant find a good pressed nut oil, drizzle with your favorite extra-virgin olive oil instead.
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18
If blood oranges are out of season, you can use another delicious orange.
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19
The dish wont be as visually stunning, but it will still taste good.
