Chufa Ajoblanco with Caviar

Xavi Queralt’s take on ajoblanco, replacing the traditional almonds with chufa (tiger nuts).

Serves 4 as a starter. Prep: 20 minutes, plus 12–24 hours soaking and 2 hours chilling.

Ingredients

• 100 g dried chufa (tiger nuts)
• 150 g day-old white bread crumb, crust removed
• 500 ml cold water, plus extra to adjust
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, peeled and central germ removed
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar or mild white wine vinegar
• 4 g fine salt, then adjust to taste
• 20–30 g Zagros Caviar, to finish
• 4 tsp crème fraîche and edible petals, optional

Method

1. Soak the chufa. Rinse the tiger nuts, cover generously with cold water and soak in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours until softened. Drain and rinse again; discard the soaking water.
2. Make chufa milk. Blend the soaked tiger nuts with the 500 ml cold water in a powerful blender until very finely broken down. Strain through a fine sieve lined with muslin, squeezing firmly to extract the liquid; discard the remaining fibrous pulp.
3. Soften the bread. Tear the bread into the strained chufa milk and leave for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, vinegar and 4 g salt, then blend until completely smooth.
4. Emulsify. With the blender running on low, pour in the olive oil slowly until the soup is silky. Add a little extra cold water if needed for a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust vinegar and salt; the caviar will add further salinity.
5. Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Stir or blend briefly before serving, adding a splash of cold water if the bread has thickened the soup.
6. Serve. Divide between four chilled shallow bowls. Add small dots of crème fraîche if using, 5–7 g caviar per bowl and optional edible petals. Serve immediately. Keep the soup refrigerated and add the garnish only at the table.

Ingredient base supplied for Xavi Queralt’s chufa variation. Preparation method and finishing quantities developed by Zagros.