Salmorejo cordobes - tomato and bread soup
“MOVIDA. In Spain, the word roughly translates as "the scene", "the movement", "the action", and specifically refers to a cultural movement that hit the big cities in the 1970s and '80s.”
- 1kg vine-ripened, soft tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 250g two-day-old pasta dura or other firm crusty bread, crusts removed
- 100ml fruity extra virgin olive oil
- 1 heaped tsp salt
- 200ml chilled water
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
- 80g jamon, cut into thin strips
- fruity extra virgin olive oil, extra, to serve (optional)
Andy, the bar manager, describes this classic cold soup as "the beach cricket of Spain - it screams summer". For me, it's a celebration of the tomato at its vine-ripened best. Home gardeners with a surplus of tomatoes and a loaf of two-day-old bread will find this a pleasing solution to their oversupply. But follow the recipe - deviations may cause a flavour imbalance.
Method
Puree the tomatoes and garlic in a food processor for 1 minute, or until smooth.
Strain through a sieve, stirring and gently pressing on the solids to extract as
much juice as possible. Discard the skin and seeds.
Break the bread into
golf ball-sized pieces and put in a large stainless steel bowl. Pour the
strained tomato mixture and olive oil over the bread with the salt. (You'll need
this amount of salt as it is a cold soup and anything served cold needs extra
seasoning.)
Using very clean hands, squish the tomato mixture into the bread,
really working the liquid through. Leave to stand for 15 minutes.
Puree the
entire mixture again, adding enough of the chilled water until smooth and
velvety. The soup should be salmon pink. Refrigerate until ready to serve with
the egg, jamon, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if desired.
Serves
6.
