Salmorejo

Córdoba's Thick Chilled Tomato and Bread Cream

Gazpacho's richer cousin from Córdoba has only four ingredients: tomato, bread, olive oil and garlic. There is no cucumber, no pepper and no water, and so much bread and oil that it comes out thick enough to hold a spoon upright. Chopped egg and ham go on top.

The Spanish recipe read blends and sieves a kilo of tomatoes, soaks 200 g of bread in the purée for ten minutes, blends again with one garlic clove and then works in 150 ml of olive oil until the mixture turns orange and thick. It is served with strips of ham, chopped hard-boiled egg and a little more oil.

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 kg very ripe tomatoes, cored
  • 200 g day-old dense white bread, crusts removed, torn
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 150 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt

To serve

  • 2 eggs
  • 60 g jamón serrano, cut into fine strips

Method

  1. Purée the tomatoes Blend the tomatoes until smooth and pass them through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove skins and seeds.
  2. Soak the bread Add the bread to the tomato purée, press it under the surface and leave for 10 minutes to soften completely.
  3. Blend Return everything to the blender with the garlic and salt and blend for 2 minutes until smooth. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream. The colour will change from red to orange and the texture should be thick and glossy, like a loose mayonnaise.
  4. Chill Chill for 2 hours. Meanwhile boil the eggs for 10 minutes, cool under the tap, peel and chop.
  5. Serve Spoon into shallow bowls, scatter with the egg and ham and finish with a thread of olive oil.

Use a mild, fruity olive oil. A bitter one will dominate.

More Spain recipes