This almond dip is sure to add a bit of lovely Spanish flair to your table. The earthiness of almonds is perfect with crisp aubergines and the sweetness of caramel.
Recipes and styling by Thulisa Martins
Photographs by Dylan Swart
Almond dip with aubergine crisps and caramelised almonds
Ingredients
Almond dip
- 100g whole almonds, skins on
- 75g bread, crust removed
- 1 garlic clove
- 100ml olive oil + extra for drizzling
- 260ml water
- Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Aubergine crisps
- 2 large exotic aubergines, thinly sliced with a mandoline or potato slicer
- groundnut or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
- Maldon sea salt, to sprinkle
Caramelised almonds
- 250ml (1 cup) water
- 220g brown sugar
- 155g whole almonds, skins on
Instructions
For the dip, soak all of the ingredients in a bowl for two hours and blend until smooth using a stick blender.
For the aubergine crisps, heat a deepfryer or large pot to 180°C and fry the aubergine slices, taking care not to burn them as they caramelise quickly, about 2 – 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle with sea salt.
For the caramelised almonds, heat the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Once dissolved, do not stir, and cook until golden-brown in colour, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the almonds. Quickly layer the mixture on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Once cooled, break into desired chunks. Serve with the dip and aubergine crisps.
