Ajo Blanco & Morcilla (White Garlic Soup & Spanish Blood Sausage)

Ivory colored, garnished with a circle of green grapes, this soup from southern Spain looks like a bridal bouquet. Don’t be fooled: made with bread, almonds, garlic, olive oil and sherry vinegar, it packs a mighty wallop. You either love it, or hate it. George and I loved it.

Morcilla is a Spanish blood sausage seasoned with nutmeg and cinnamon. In general I’m not a great friend of blood sausage, but I liked the morcilla because of its enticing flavor and nice texture. Bought on my previous visit to Despaña Brand Foods all I had to do was heat the sausages in hot water for a few minutes and cut them into bite-sized portions.

Menu

Ajo Blanco (White Garlic Soup)*
Morcilla
Sautéed caramelized apple
Wine: Marques de Canceres Rioja 2006
Dessert: Fresh berries

Recipe Ajo Blanco
*adapted from a recipe by Joanna Pruess, food writer and consultant for the specialty food industry.

½ cup stale white bread, soaked in warm water
2/3 cup blanched almonds, more if desired
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup olive oil, more in needed
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
Salt
1 tablespoon Amontillado sherry (optional)
10 white seedless grapes for garnish

Combine the soaked bread, almonds, garlic and a bit of olive oil in a food processor and purée until well blended. Slowly add the remaining oil, vinegar and salt until the mixture is smooth. Add more water and olive oil as needed. Adjust the flavor. Add sherry if desired. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
Serve in individual bowls garnished with grapes.

For the caramelized apple I used Granny Smith , cut into slices and sautéed in butter until golden brown. They added a touch of sweetness the sausages.