Salmorejo, tradtionally from Cordoba, is rather like gazpacho but thicker and served more as a dip or sauce. It is based on tomatoes and garlic and served chillled.
A classic Spanish dish, Salmorejo, just like its close cousin the famous chilled gazpacho soup is served chilled with diced serrano ham and chopped hard-boiled eggs on the top.
Variations of this dish can be found all across Spain, some include pieces of orange in it, a refreshing change and surprisingly good.
Try this basic recipe for Salmorejo based on olive oil, tomatoes and garlic, it'll go down a treat especially on those hot summer days and makes an ideal dip for a barbecue.
Salmorejo
Ingredients - for 4
garlic cloves, 2
1kg sweet tomatoes, cut in half
100g white bread, with the crusts removed and roughly broken up
10 tsp virgin olive oil, Spanish of course
2 tbsp sweet red-wine or sherry vinegar
pinch of caster sugar
sea salt and black pepper
To Garnish
1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
3 tbsp serrano jamon, finely chopped
Method
Put the garlic and sea salt into a mortar and crush to form a smooth paste.
Use a food processor and puree the tomatoes and bread until smooth.
Strain through a sieve. Add the garlic to the mixture and add the olive oil slowly. When it is all mixed together pour into a mixing bowl, add the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar if needed, this depends on the sweetness of the tomatoes used.
It should be a smooth puree, add a little watet to thin it down to the consistency you want.
Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours.
Transfer into bowls and sprinkle with chopped jamon and egg.
This may be used as a sauce and served with fish or chicken or any fried or battered vegetables, it´s really good with fried aubergines.
