Chilled Almond and Olive Oil soup with Grapes

Cook Time 1 hour 45 mins

Servings 4 as an entree

Ingredients

100g stale sourdough bread, crust removed & cut into large chunks
400ml water
120g whole blanched almond
1 clove garlic, crushed into a paste
1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled and deseeded
120ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs. sherry vinegar
Good pinch salt
8 red grapes cut in half
4 very thin slices of Jamon Serrano (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil, garnish

Method

Soak the bread in the water for 15 minutes.

Place almonds, soaked bread and garlic in a blender and blend for 30 seconds to mill into a course crumb. Now add the cucumber. Blend again until a fine paste forms. With the blender still running, drizzle in the remaining water, extra virgin olive oil and vinegar. Season the soup with salt. Pass through a fine sieve and then place in fridge to chill completely. This can be made up three days ahead of time.

Place a few halved grapes in the centre of four small bowls along with a few pieces of Jamon. Pour soup around the garnish and finally drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.