Ajo Blanco

Ingredients

• 6 ounces day old bread (a 3-inch cube), crusts removed
• 3 cloves of garlic
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5 tablespoons wine vinegar or Sherry vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 12 muscatel grapes, halved and seeded
• 2 ½ cup water

Method

1.
Put the bread in a bowl and add water to cover. Let soak for 5 minutes until soften.

2.
Meanwhile, place the almonds and garlic in a blender container (or, if using a hand-held blender, into a mixing bowl) and pulse until almonds are finely ground.

3.
Put the bread in a bowl and add water to cover. Let soak for 5 minutes until soften.

4.
Squeeze out the water from the bread, discard the crusts. Add it to the food processor. Blend to a smooth paste.

5.
With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream, then the vinegar and salt.

6.
Thin the ingredients with ½ cup of water to the desired consistency.

7.
Place the blended contents in a tureen, wooden bowl or pitcher and add about 2 cups of water. Taste for seasoning, add more salt and/or vinegar if necessary. The soup should be fairly tangy.

8.
Chill until serving time. Stir before serving into bowls. Garnish with grapes.

Serves 4

This recipe is taken from Janet Mendel’s newest book about Spanish food and culture to be published in 2002 by HarperCollins.