Ajoblanco Malagueño

Ingredients

• 200 g raw blanched Marcona almonds
• 100 g stale white country bread, crusts removed
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and green centres removed
• 750 ml ice-cold water
• 120 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
• 3 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 150 g Muscat or other sweet green grapes, halved and seeded
• A small handful of flaked almonds, to serve

Before you cook

• Tear the bread into pieces, cover it with cold water and leave it to soak for 10 minutes.
• Squeeze the soaked bread hard between your palms to get rid of most of the water.
• Halve the grapes and flick out any seeds with the tip of a knife.
• Put the water in the fridge or add a few ice cubes so it is genuinely cold when you blend.

Steps

1. Blend the almonds, garlic and salt with 100 ml of the cold water for 2 minutes until you have a thick, gritty paste.
2. Add the squeezed bread and blend for another minute.
3. Pour in half the remaining water and blend on high for 2 minutes until the mixture turns milky and smooth.
4. Trickle in the olive oil with the motor running so the soup emulsifies and pales.
5. Add the sherry vinegar and the rest of the water and blend for 30 seconds.
6. Taste and add salt or vinegar until the almond sweetness is cut by a clear sharp edge.
7. Pass the soup through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing the solids with a ladle to extract everything.
8. Cover the jug and chill it for at least 3 hours until it is properly cold.
9. Stir the ajoblanco well, pour it into shallow bowls, and float the halved grapes and flaked almonds on top with a final thread of olive oil.