Gazpacho Andaluz

La storia di questo piatto

Gazpacho is Andalusia's answer to the white-hot summer, a cold soup born of the south where the tomato, the pepper and the cucumber ripen under an unforgiving sun. Stale bread, olive oil and vinegar are the humble companions that have long made the table of this land what it is.

Ingredienti

• 800 g Ripe salad tomatoes (pear or beefsteak type)
• 1 piece Red bell pepper
• 150 g Fresh cucumber
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 100 g Stale Spanish bread (pan de telera or the previous day's baguette)
• 3 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
• 80 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 5 g Sea salt
• 250 ml Cold water

Preparazione

1. Wash the tomatoes well under cold running water, removing the stem and the tough core, and cut them into large chunks: the seeds stay in, as they contribute to the creaminess and flavour of the soup. Clean the pepper by removing the white core and seeds, which are the hardest part to digest, and cut it into small pieces. Cut the cucumber into chunks: in the traditional version it is used with its skin and seeds; for a gentler, modern variation you may peel it with a vegetable peeler and scoop out the inner seeds with a teaspoon.
2. Tear the stale bread into pieces with your hands and soak it in the cold water: it is what gives the soup body and creaminess, so don't rush and let it soak up well for two minutes. Meanwhile, crush the garlic with the flat of a knife, just enough to break its fibres: this releases all the aroma without leaving it too pungent in the final dish.
3. Put the tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, crushed garlic, well-squeezed bread, vinegar and half of the oil into the blender, then blend for a long time until you obtain a thick, smooth cream, with no coarse pieces that can be felt between the teeth. Taste as you blend: if it seems too thick, add the cold water little by little, mixing well each time, until you reach the desired consistency (you may not need all of it): the soup should flow softly from the spoon yet remain full-bodied.
4. The traditional version is served as it is, without straining. If you prefer a soup as fine as silk, as a modern variation pass everything through a sieve, pressing firmly with the back of a spoon to extract every drop of flavour, leaving only the skins and the tougher fibres in the sieve. Adjust the salt to taste, pour in the remaining oil and mix well, always tasting before you stop: it should be well seasoned yet balanced, never flat.
5. Cover the soup and refrigerate it for at least two hours, the time needed for the flavours to blend well and for the gazpacho to take on the chill that makes it so refreshing. Before serving, put the bowls in the freezer for a few minutes too: eating a cold soup in a warm bowl ruins all the magic. Bring it to the table in well-chilled bowls, with toasted bread croutons served on the side and a thread of raw olive oil poured at the last moment, as that is what smells most fragrant.