Chilled Almond And Garlic SOUP With Marinated Sardines And Cherries
- 25m Prep Time
- 40m Cook Time
- 1h 5mReady In
Ajo blanco is a chilled almond and garlic soup from Mallorca, served with marinated sardines and fresh cherries. It's a refreshing summer dish with roots in Moorish cuisine.
Ingredients
- 180 g peeled almonds
- 3 clove garlic peeled
- 600 ml milk
- 250 ml water
- 50 g fresh white bread
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 150 ml olive oil
- 12 fresh cherries pitted and halved
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 12 sardines cleaned and filleted
- 200 g sea salt
- 200 g caster sugar
- 200 ml olive oil
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 8 of 14 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 2116 mg
- Iron: 17.1 mg
- Magnesium: 230 mg
- Phosphorus: 2512 mg
- Potassium: 2418 mg
- Zinc: 7.94 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 180 g peeled almonds
- 600 ml milk
- 250 ml water
- 50 g fresh white bread
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 150 ml olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 200 g sea salt
- 200 g caster sugar
- 200 ml olive oil
Prepare
- Peel 3 clove garlic
- 12 fresh cherries, pitted and halved
- 12 sardines, cleaned and filleted
Let's Cook
-
Step 1.
Place the sardine fillets skin-side up on a large dish. Thoroughly combine the salt and sugar and completely cover the sardine fillets with the mixture. Transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for 1–2 hours.
-
Step 2.
While the sardines marinate, in a heavy saucepan, combine the peeled almonds, garlic cloves, milk and water. Cook over a low heat for 30–35 minutes, until the almonds are soft and cooked through.
-
Step 3.
Add the fresh white bread to the saucepan and cook for another 3–4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool a little.
-
Step 4.
Transfer the almond mixture to a food processor, add the sherry vinegar and blend to a purée. Whisk in the olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper, then pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3–4 hours.
-
Step 5.
After the sardines have marinated, rinse them in cold water to remove all the salt, then dry with paper towels. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with olive oil and chill until required.
-
Step 6.
To serve, pour the chilled ajo blanco into soup bowls and garnish with the marinated sardines and fresh cherries. Serve immediately.