Salmorejo

Salmorejo is a typical dish in both Cordoba and Jaen, a fundamental part of the Mediterranean diet and is also a refreshing treat for the hotter months in Andalusia. Salmorejo is sometimes confused with gazpacho as it has several ingredients in common. Their fundamental difference lies in the texture: salmorejo is made using a larger quantity of bread making it more dense and creamy than other Andalusian cold soups.

Jorge García-Hidalgo started his career in the Escuela de Hostelería de Sevilla. He has worked in Michelín star restaurants including Restaurante Martín Berasategu in Lasarte (Guipúzcoa) and restaurants in both Italy and Switzerland. Andalusian by birth, but Catalán by adoption, he currently works in Tarragona in a catering company. He shares his recipe for this typical Andalusian recipe with the readers of Tertulia Andaluza.

1. Wash all the ingredients (except for the bread!).

2. Put the bread into a bowl sufficiently large for blending together all the ingredients. Break the bread into pieces, chop all the other ingredients and put them all into the bowl. Leave the tomatoes for last.

3. Add half of the olive oil, the vinegar and a bit of salt. Cover and leave it to macerate in the fridge for two or three hours.

4. Blend together all the ingredients and strain the resulting blend. Add the remaining olive oil slowly so that it emulsifies giving it shine and texture.

5. Once it has been strained, taste the mixture and add salt to taste.

If you’d like to surprise your guests add a grilled quails egg and a bit of jamón serrano.