Chef Seamus Mullen, Boqueria, NYC
Ingredients
- 1 cup toasted Marcona almonds
- 2 cup torn pieces of stale white bread, crust removed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup fino Sherry
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 sardine fillets
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup chickpea flour
- Whole Marcona almonds
- 8 green grapes, halved
Instructions
For the soup:
- Combine the first 6 ingredients and allow to macerate overnight. The next day, place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, adding a little water to thin if necessary. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil so that the combination emulsifies. Add salt to taste. Chill.
For the sardines:
- Just before serving, season the sardine fillets with salt and pepper and lightly dust the skin side of the fillets with chickpea flower. In a non-stick pan, heat a teaspoon of olive oil over medium high. Add the fillets, skin-side down, and cook for about 2 minutes (until the flesh turns opaque); do not turn. Divide the soup into four bowls and top each with a sardine fillet. Garnish with almonds and grapes.
Pairing recommendation: A Fino Sherry, such as Tio Pepe, Osborne Pale Dry or El Maestro Sierra Fino
This story appears in the print issue of June 2009.
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