Prawn ajo blanco

The ajo blanco is a centuries old Spanish chilled soup and here I’ve given a lift to the traditional combination of almond, bread and garlic with a touch of green apple and orange blossom water.

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

“This dish is all about quality produce, simple flavours and finesse. It’s essential you use the freshest prawns you can find because they’re only lightly cured in the vinegar so there’s nowhere to hide! You can sauté or grill them if you prefer. The ajo blanco is a centuries old Spanish chilled soup and here I’ve given a lift to the traditional combination of almond, bread and garlic with a touch of green apple and orange blossom water.” Shane Delia, Shane Delia’s Moorish Spice Journey

Ingredients

• 8 large green prawns, peeled and cleaned
• 1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, zest finely grated
• pinch of salt
• 60 ml (¼ cup) sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, for drizzling

Ajo blanco

• ½ green apple, peeled, quartered, cored and chopped
• 100 g (⅔ cup) blanched almonds
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 2 thick slices day old bread, soaked in water until soft, then squeezed dry
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1½ tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp orange blossom water, or to taste
• sea salt, to taste

Dressing

• 1 green apple, peeled and finely diced
• 25 g (¼ cup) flaked almonds
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• pinch of sea salt
• handful of micro cress leaves

Chilling time 2 hours

Instructions

To make the ajo blanco soup, place the apple, almonds, garlic and bread in a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add 200 ml water, then add the oil and vinegar. Add the orange blossom water and season with sea salt. Transfer to a jug and refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled.

Meanwhile, finely chop the prawns, then place in a bowl with the chilli, coriander, lemon zest, salt, vinegar and oil. Stir to combine well, then cover and refrigerate while the soup is chilling.

To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss gently to combine.

To serve, divide the soup among shallow bowls, top with the prawns, then a little dressing and a drizzle of oil.

Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey starts Thursday 15 October 2015 at 8pm on SBS and finishes 17 December 2015. Visit the Shane Delia's Moorish Spice Journey program page to catch-up on episodes online, scroll through recipes and read our interview with Shane.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

“This dish is all about quality produce, simple flavours and finesse. It’s essential you use the freshest prawns you can find because they’re only lightly cured in the vinegar so there’s nowhere to hide! You can sauté or grill them if you prefer. The ajo blanco is a centuries old Spanish chilled soup and here I’ve given a lift to the traditional combination of almond, bread and garlic with a touch of green apple and orange blossom water.” Shane Delia, Shane Delia’s Moorish Spice Journey