Tomato, Anchovy And Almond Aioli

By The Dusty Knuckle thedustyknuckle.com

‘This is a great combination of flavours, conjured up by one of our fabulous ex-head chefs, Rosie,’ says The Dusty Knuckle’s Max Tobias. ‘The key here is the quality of ingredients – we charge nearly a tenner for a sandwich because we only source the good stuff. You need flavoursome Italian tomatoes, the best smoked or salted anchovies (we use Ortiz, sourced from brindisa.com), and ideally Dusty Knuckle focaccia, which you can make from our own cookbook.’

WHAT’S INSIDE?

• 1 PIECE OF FOCACCIA

• 1 TOMATO

• 2 ANCHOVY FILLETS

• 4 LOVAGE OR CELERY LEAVES

• A HANDFUL OF BABY GEM LEAVES

• 1 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

• DASH OF RED WINE VINEGAR

• SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

FOR THE ALMOND AIOLI

(MAKES A JAR’S WORTH)

• 1 EGG YOLK

• ½ TSP WHITE WINE VINEGAR

• 300ML NEUTRAL OIL

• 20ML WATER

• 1 TO 2 GARLIC CLOVES

• 1 TO 2 TSP LEMON JUICE

• 40G TOASTED ALMONDS

• 2 PINCHES SWEET PAPRIKA

• ½ TSP DIJON MUSTARD

METHOD

01 Blitz the egg yolk, vinegar and salt in a food processor, then slowly pour in the oil as it whizzes until the mixture is glossy and thick. If it starts to separate, just add some water until it binds back together.

02 Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt using a pestle and mortar or a knife, then add to the mixture along with the lemon juice to taste. Finish by introducing the almonds and paprika.

03 To make the sandwich, cut the bread in half and toast well on the inside (you can do this in a frying pan). Season thick tomato slices with sea salt and pepper, then lay on top of the bottom slice, dolloping the aioli on top plus two anchovies. In a bowl, dress the leaves with salt, pepper, oil and vinegar, then place on top before finishing with the toasted lid.