Ajo Blanco - White Gazpacho

*I was determined to serve this in shot glasses, but obviously didn't want to buy 40 shot glasses just for the party! Thank God for discount shops - 40 plastic disposable shot glasses for $2. I bought lots!

Ingredients:
Makes around 1.5 litres unstrained, around 1litre with all chunky bits taken away

200 grams of day-old white sourdough bread, crusts off, then chopped into manageable chunks
400 grams blanched almonds, whole
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
sherry vinegar to taste
sea salt and fresh ground white pepper to taste
small bunch of seedless green grapes, halved if small, or sliced if big
almond oil (optional) for drizzling

Procedure:

1. In a blender put in the bread, almonds, garlic, olive oil and 1 litre of water. And yes, you want the blender, not the food processor, even though the blender might labour slightly depending on how hard your bread is. Yes, I speak from experience and a very wet food processor! Add water to help the mix along, and do it in batches if you have a small blender.
2. Once the mix is all blended and creamy, season to taste with sherry vinegar - I find around 2-3 tbsps is good. Season also with sea salt and white pepper - at a cinch, you can use pre-ground white pepper, but fresh ground is best. Keep that black pepper grinder away!!
3. If you like it chunky and nutty, don't strain the soup. But if you want a smoother texture or are worried that people might construe the nutty bits as more like sandy, then strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer. Chill for at least 1-2 hours before serving.
4. To serve, line up your shot glasses, pour in the soup, and top with the grape - sliced bit up if using halves. Drizzle with almond oil if using - I have not used almond oil so far with this recipe and everyone still raves about it.