The best gazpachos have several characteristics in common, said Angela Clutton: they are made with seasonal tomatoes, they are served super-cold, and they use a really good sherry vinegar.
Serve with the sherry vinegar bottle on the table too, so that people can add that all-important finishing touch of flavour and balance. I like my gazpacho quite thick, so that is how this comes – thin it down with water, if you prefer. There is no need to skin the tomatoes as they will be blended and strained before serving.
Ingredients: serves 4-6
- 1kg very ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 80g slightly stale white or brown bread, torn into pieces
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 3 tbsp sherry vinegar, plus extra to taste
- 125ml extra-virgin olive oil
For the garnish (optional)
- chopped hard-boiled egg
- chopped spring onion
- chopped cucumber
- chopped mint croutons
- sherry vinegar
Method
- Place the tomatoes in a large bowl with the cucumber, green pepper, bread pieces, garlic, sherry vinegar (I recommend using a really good one, such as Valdespino at Brindisa) and half of the oil. Add a good pinch of salt, mix to combine, then cover and chill for about 2 hours.
- Transfer to a blender and combine all the ingredients, adding the rest of the olive oil.
- Season and strain into a bowl through a fine sieve, pushing with a spoon to get as much through as you can. Taste for seasoning – remember that chilling dulls the seasoning slightly – and take a look at the resulting soup. If it is too thick for your liking, you can thin it down at this stage with some water.
- Chill until needed, then serve in small bowls or cups with a drizzle of sherry vinegar on top and your choice of garnishes, arranged on the table so each person can help themselves.
- Alternative: rather than sherry vinegar, try finishing with a good balsamic, tomato balsamic, maple vinegar or cucumber vinegar.
Recipe from boroughmarket.org.uk, a website featuring recipes inspired by produce at the London food market. Angela Clutton is a food writer and presenter, and author of “Borough Market: The Knowledge”. Photography: Kim Lightbody.
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