Ingredients
| ¼ cup blanched almonds | |
| 1 clove garlic | |
| ½ cup day-old sourdough bread, crusts removed | |
| 3 teaspoons sherry vinegar | |
| 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil | |
| 1 large cucumber or 4-5 small cucumbers, chilled | |
| 250g green grapes, halved, chilled | |
| 100g cold smoked salmon, sliced, cut into slivers (optional) |
Ajo bianco is a traditional Spanish chilled soup made with almonds, stale bread and garlic. I’ve played with the idea and turned the soup into a dressing for some of the soup’s classic additions. The dressing can be made a day ahead so it’s delightfully chilled, but it isn’t essential. However the dressing will thicken as it sits, so you may need to loosen it with a little extra water.
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Instructions
| 1. | For the dressing, roughly blitz the almonds and garlic in a blender. |
| 2. | Add the bread, 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar and ¼ cup cold water. |
| 3. | Blitz to a smooth paste then add 3 tablespoons olive oil to combine. Set aside. |
| 4. | Cut the cucumber into slices, put into a bowl with the grapes and toss with 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil. |
| 5. | Season with a little salt. Spoon most of the dressing onto a platter and top with the cucumber and grapes. |
| 6. | Drizzle over a little more of the dressing and scatter over the slivers of smoked salmon if using. |
Recipes & food styling Ginny Grant / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Jess Hemmings