In Which the CC Plays Detective ...

The CC had tapas at a Spanish restaurant quite a while back, and they had served pan-fried Marcona almonds with sea-salt. The CC tends to be more than a little sceptical of all the branding that goes on (Marcona, Shmarcona!)

What was so special about the "Marcona" almonds anyway? They seemed like your basic almonds with an almondy flavor (what else?)

The question was straightforward. Were the almonds special or was the prep special (pan-fried with olive oil with some great sea salt?) Or was it just the copious amount of wine consumed?

Well, the CC decided to replicate the completely obvious recipe (pan-fry, drain on paper towels, add finely ground sea salt) with cheap-ass almonds bought from a local ethnic market.

Bottom Line: It's the sea salt. There is nothing remotely special about the Marcona almonds but the sea salt makes a huge difference.

Almonds with Sea Salt