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For the almond butter:
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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In a bowl, mix together the almonds, honey, canola oil and hazelnut oil.
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Spread the almonds on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, sprinkle with salt and toast in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly caramelized, watching them closely and stirring halfway through if necessary. Let cool for 1 minute. Cook's Note: Cool no longer than 1 minute, as the almonds will cool and harden, which makes getting them off the paper very difficult!
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In a food processor, add 3/4 of the roasted almonds. Process on high speed for 5 minutes or until you have the desired consistency. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and process again to the desired smoothness. Add a few drops of oil if it's too thick. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. With a knife, chop the remaining almonds and keep aside to use as a garnish.
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For the grape jelly:
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Rinse the grapes and put them in a big pot with the sugar and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring often, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Skim the surface regularly to ensure a clear jam.
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Let it cool for 1 hour. Pour the mixture in a clean jar and reserve in the refrigerator. Grape jelly will keep for a week.
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For the duck foie gras:
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Season the foie gras with salt and pepper.
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In a pan on medium heat, saute the foie gras 20 seconds on each side or just until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside in a warm place. Add the brioche bread to the pan to soak up the remaining juices and duck fat and lightly toast on each side, about 2 minutes in total.
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When ready to plate, spread the almond butter on a slice of bread, cover with a slice of foie gras. Garnish with the grape jelly and the reserved crushed almonds.
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Cook's Notes:
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Roasted pecans, hazelnuts, macadamia, brazil nuts or peanuts work well, too. Combining different nuts is also fun to experiment with. The nut butter can also be flavored with spices like orange zest, cardamom, or cinnamon.
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The first and most important thing to consider when making a batch of peanut butter is buying fresh peanuts, or other nuts. Because nuts have such a high oil content, they can go rancid if stored improperly, or for too long. Buy your nuts from a busy store with a good turnover and you should have no problem.
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Nuts can be kept in the freezer for almost a year.
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Cool no longer than 1 minute, as the almonds will cool and harden, which makes getting them off the paper very difficult!
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The almond butter can keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
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Hazelnut oil can be substituted with macadamia nut oil or grilled sesame oil.
