Salmorejo

Ingredients

• 2 lbtomatoesripe and red; peeled or strained after blending
• 4¼ ozwhite breaddense white bread (e.g. pan candeal), soaked and squeezed
• 1 clovesgarlicpeeled
• ½ cupolive oilstreamed in while blending, a little for drizzling
• saltsparingly, the ham adds salt
• 2eggshard-boiled, chopped or halved, as topping
• 2⅛ ozserrano hamfinely chopped, as topping
• 1 tbspSherry vinegarblended in for acidity (optional)

Method

1. Soak the breadTear the white bread into pieces and leave it to soak in water for a few minutes so it drinks up as much as it can.
2. Blend tomatoes and garlicWash the tomatoes and peel them if you like. Put them in the blender with the peeled garlic and blend; if you enjoy a little acidity, add the sherry vinegar now. If you didn't peel the tomatoes, push the purée through a sieve afterwards so the skins and seeds stay behind.
3. Work in the breadSqueeze the soaked bread firmly, add it to the tomato purée and blend everything until very smooth, with no flecks of bread left.
4. Blend in the olive oilWith the blender running, pour in the olive oil in a thin stream until the mixture turns creamy and comes together. Keep a little oil back for drizzling. Season with salt, but go easy, since the ham will bring its own saltiness later.
5. Chill it wellCover the salmorejo and let it chill thoroughly in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
6. Boil the eggsMeanwhile, boil the eggs for 10 minutes, cool them under cold water, peel and chop them finely.
7. Cut the hamCut the serrano ham into fine strips or small pieces.
8. Plate up and drizzleDivide the cold salmorejo between bowls, scatter over the chopped egg and serrano ham, and finish with a drizzle of the remaining olive oil.

Tips and variations

For an even deeper tomato flavour, soak the bread in the blended tomato juice instead of water. Finely diced green pepper makes a good extra topping alongside the egg and ham. If you like things bolder, try the 'Bloody Mary' version: toasted bread, vinegar, smoked paprika and black pepper, topped with olives, anchovies, pickles, chilli flakes and parsley. Serve the salmorejo properly cold and pour the oil over only at the very end, so the surface glistens and the aroma reaches you with the first spoonful.