Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• plus extra to serve
• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 banana shallots
• halved
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 400g/14oz roasted red peppers from a jar
• drained
• 400ml/14fl oz chicken stock
• hot
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• vegetable oil
• for deep frying
• 500g/1lb 2oz mashed potatoes
• 1 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley
• 50g/1¾oz plain flour
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten
• 75g/2½oz flaked almonds
• basil leaves
• to serve

Directions

• For the red pepper soup
• heat the oil and butter in a saucepan and once melted add the shallots
• garlic
• paprika and thyme and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Add the peppers and stock and cook for 5-6 minutes
• finish with the cream. Place in a blender and blend until smooth.
• For the almond potato croquette
• heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or heavy-based deep pan to 180C. (Caution: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Mix the flatleaf parsley into the mashed potato. Roll the mash into small sausage shapes.
• Put the flour
• beaten egg and almonds onto three separate plates. Roll the potato sausages in the flour
• then the eggs and then the flaked almonds.
• Carefully lower the croquettes into the hot oil and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes
• until golden-brown
• crisp and hot through. Remove using a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper.
• Ladle the soup into serving bowls
• drop a few almond croquettes in the centre and garnish with the basil and olive oil.