Grilled Sourdough Bread with Roasted Marcona Almond Butter, Strawberry Preserves, and Sweet Herbs

• Strawberry Preserves: 
• 4 cups strawberries, cleaned and sliced
• 2 cups sugar
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• Roasted Marcona Almond Butter: 
• 20 ounces raw Marcona almonds
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 4 ounces extra virgin olive oil
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• To Serve:
• One 3/4-inch-thick slice sourdough bread 
• 1 ounce butter, softened 
• 3 ounces roasted Marcona almond butter
• 2 ounces strawberry preserves
• 5 chervil sprigs
• 5 mint tips

Make the strawberry preserves: combine the strawberries and sugar in a large, non-reactive saucepot. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for 3 hours, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat. Scrape the preserves into a bowl. Place the bowl in an ice bath so that the preserves cool rapidly.

Make the almond butter: preheat the oven to 400ºF. Roast the Marcona almonds on a sheet pan for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.

Grind the roasted almonds in a food processor. Wipe down the sides of the bowl and stir as necessary to ensure even grinding. When the almonds are ground to the texture of gravel, add the sugar and salt. Continue processing and drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated. Note: store the almond butter in the refrigerator. It will separate, so stir as necessary to reincorporate. 

To serve, spread soft butter on both sides of the sourdough bread. On a plancha or sauté pan, grill both sides of the bread over medium heat. Press lightly to ensure even browning. 

Spread almond butter on the grilled bread. Cut the bread into 3 pieces and place on a plate. Drizzle strawberry preserves over the top. Scatter mint and chervil over the top.