Thursday, August 9, 2007

Ajo blanco out of sequence

It turned out very well: for 4pp

4 slices white bread, crusts cut off, soaked in about a cup of whole milk
4 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed with some salt and made into paste with heavy knife
2 tbsp white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
about 6Tbps olive oil (I forgot to add it and it was still fine)
1/2 lb powdered almonds - I used about 2 oz less (you can make your own by using skinned almonds and processing them until they resemble rough flour otherwise hit up Sahadi's. They ship, and powdered almonds are delicious in tortas with chocolate, too)
3 cups chicken stock (mine was real, but use cubes, too)
ice water and icecubes
white grapes, cut in half, about a cup

Squeeze milk out of bread, give milk to the cat/dog/fairies and put bread in blender with garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and whizz. Add almonds with some stock. Whizz. When it is very smooth put in a bowl and add the rest of the stock. Taste and see how thick it is. Add water to thin.*

I cheated. At the Deathstar, before cycling to the Eric and Mimi's on East 22nd, I bought a little container of a chicken version of demi glace: super-concentrated all-natural stock, quite jelly-like. I dissolved it in a little hot water. It made the soup quite rich and very inauthentic. It's not necessary. But nice.

If you're eating immediately throw some icecubes in to chill it fast and also to thin it a bit more. Add the cut-up grapes.

Cycling home in the dark was interesting.

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