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What do I miss most about home?
It has to be the dear old Currant Bun. Today’s headline: Phew what a scorcher! Although they could be holding the front page to the Aussie cricketers a good firm kick in the bollocks.
The last time I was home in England, en route to Spain, it was bloody hot. And when I landed in Seville it was 48C. A few seconds of heat melted my suitcase and my cricket bat wilted.
There was only one thing for it: Ajo Blanco aka chilled almond soup and an ice cold sherry.The world is split as to how to make Ajo Blanco. Delia Smith, who seeing as she is rich enough to own her own football club must be pretty smart, doesn’t use bread. Most people do us bread but they are split between stale and fresh. It probably isn’t that important.
Delia specifies Spanish olive oil and unblanched Spanish almonds.I’m afraid I’m giving the plebs version here. I‘ll be using a good quality Australian oil and blanched almonds. But still the effect is spectacular, or a least refreshing on a 40 degree day.I have used home made chicken stock and sherry in this soup. But you don’t need to be fancy. Just keep it simple with six easy ingredients.
But beware. Made with sherry vinegar it is a palate cleanser just as electrotherapy can is a brain cleanser. This soup is very sour and very garlicky. Add both to your own taste.
Ingredients
120g stale white bread(stale)
3 cups cold water (you can experiment with chicken stock, sherry and quantity)
1 cup blanched almonds
2-3 smashed cloves garlic to taste
About 2 cups good olive oil
25 ml sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with one of more of the following: halved grapes, sliced apple, toasted flaked almonds, olive oil.
Method
Soak bread in cold water until soggy. Squeeze out water. Zap almonds and garlic in blender. Add soaked bread and gradually add oil until it is a smooth paste. Add cold water and vinegar until you reach the desired thickness and taste - salt and pepper.Chill for a couple of hours. Serve with garnish of choice.
Drink: Fino sherry
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{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Good one, its the perfect weather for this kind of stuff. I just made up a batch of Salmorejo myself.
I’m not keen on the non-bread version, sounds like some low carb variation or something. How does it thicken?
Dave, to be honest I didn’t bother trying the non-bread. Salmorejo - nice idea too. I personally prefer it to gazpacho and will do next hot day.
Should it be Currant Bun, not Current Bun, or am I missing something?
RicI know it should but I’m not going to change but the recent upgrade of Wordpres has created formatting problems which means if i edit a post I’ll have to manually code the html. So for now it will stay as it is.
Non bread version? How about using Panama’s wet cardboard instead?
Formatting issues aside, I like the new template.
Ed,
I totally understand the love affair with the British currant bun. Infact I have just had one toasted with butter and your Mother’s Hedgerow Jelly, which was the most delectable taste which have assailed my taste buds in yonks.
Miranda Morgan (Hampshire, UK)
Well, Ive worked out the formatting issues and changed to Currant without losing anything. Phew!. Sticky LOL. Glad you like the new look although I’m still ironing out a few issues.
Miranda, right now I fancy an Eccles Cake.
Oh no Ed, Eccles cake! It’s the same ilk of all those traditional cakes. Gritty raisins and aspic and dried fruit. Christmas pudding, Mince Pies, Christmas cake, its all the same awful texture and pungent taste. We do still have an old fashioned baker who wouldn’t dream of including a croissant or any other foreign bakery deliciously. He has sticky iced buns, Eccels cakes and currant buns and charges a fortune for the privilege. Which is a shame as the only people loving those are the OAP’s on state pension of £22 per week?
There’s nowt wrong with Eccles cakes, (good) Christmas pudding, cake or similar.I remember posing over complicated looking quantum formulas in text books while lazily chewing on Eccles cakes in the Riley Bar at Liverpool University. Fond memories…
Of course, you were at Liverpool. This year Liverpool is the Cultural City of Europe! I have to admit, I’ve been all around the world but have never gone North in the UK. Must try it this year.Mx
Miranda, ensure you have the correct innoculations. Also try: chips, rice and curry sauce.
Do I need a phrase book? Also are deep fried Mars Bars a myth?
Miranda, I think you are confusing Liverpool with Glasgow, itself a former City of culture. Of course, Glasgow is the seat of British culinary innovation responsible for the deep fried Mars Bar, deep fried pizza and I heard a rumour chicken tikka massala (which by now is also probably deep fried). In contrast Liverpool brought us…ummm…Paul McCartney who was quite good for a while…and Pete Burns (when he was cool) who worked in the record shop and gate crashed our parties.
….another cool soup for a hot Melbourne night….chilled courgette, parmesan & basil. Fry thickly sliced courgette (zucchini) & onion in olive oil. cool. Whizz in blender with stock & good handful basil leaves. Stir in cream & finely grated parmesan. Season & drizzle w EV oil before serving. Also good served hot. Jaws
Jaws, I will try it. The Zucchinis are about to go into overload.
Sure looks tasty on that plate
Hani