This is based on the famous Andalusian chilled almond soup, ajo blanco. The pastis gives it a lovely aniseed note. The sherry vinegar really is important here; its dark, deep character brings everything together very nicely, while a little lemon juice brings a brighter acidity to balance the pastis. Melon is my go-to addition to this dish on hot summer days, curled with a spoon, dripping pale orange juices into the white pool of very cold soup. And the crispy ham is delicious with it because … well, it’s crispy ham. I have always found that using almond flour rather than grinding whole almonds makes for a smoother result. Alternatively, you can pass the soup through a sieve before adding your bits, but I detest passing things through sieves with a passion, and will go to any lengths to avoid it.
Serves 4
ground almonds 250g (almond flour)
garlic ½ clove, peeled and crushed to a fine paste with salt
cold water 325ml
olive oil 2 tbsp
sherry vinegar 2 tbsp
pastis 1 tbsp
cured ham 2 thin slices (prosciutto, serrano or bayonne ham if possible)
ripe melon 1 (charentais if possible), chilled
sea salt
