Salmorejo, for me, is the much better cousin of the famous gazpacho. It's laughably simple to make, using only a few good ingredients. This staple from Andalucia makes a great summer starter or canape.
salmorejo
Serves 2 as a starter
or 10 as a canape in shot glasses
1 kilo of tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
100ml extra virgin olive oil
80g french bread or sourdough
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
Heat a pan of salted boiling water and prepare a bowl of ice water. Score a cross into the skin of the tomatoes – this will help you peel off the skin. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water for 10-30 seconds, until the skin of the tomato begins to pull away. Remove and plunge into a bowl of ice water. After a minute, remove the tomatoes, peel and discard the skins. Halve the tomatoes, remove the seeds with a spoon and discard. Roughly chop the tomatoes.
Put the tomatoes, crushed garlic and olive oil into a blender along with a splash of cold water. Blend until completely smooth.
Soak the bread in water for a minute, then remove and squeeze out the water. Add to the blender along with the sherry vinegar and seasoning. Blend again until smooth and taste for seasoning.
Serve chilled with an extra drizzle of olive oil.