Recipes from my #1 Amazon bestseller The Great Mediterranean Comfort Food Tour

“Karen McCann’s book is the perfect homage to two of the greatest things in life – food and travel.” 
George Mahood, author of Free Country

In its home city of Seville, gazpacho is served creamy enough to drink from a glass.

​VICTOR'S CLASSIC ANDALUCíAN COLD SOUPS

​Gazpacho (Seville)
Serves 6
 
1 kilo (2.2 lbs.) of ripe tomatoes
half of a medium Italian green pepper
half of a small cucumber
1 small garlic clove
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
1 leveled dessert spoon (3/4 teaspoon) of salt
 
Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and then cut them into quarters. Chop the pepper and the peeled cucumber. Add all vegetables to the blender. Cut the garlic in half to remove the core, peel it and put it into the blender too. Add the oil, the vinegar and the salt. Blend until puree texture. Pass this mix through a sieve to remove all seeds and skin.
 
Let it cool before serving. Serve in a bowl or add some cold water to get a drinkable mix to serve in a glass.
 
Decorate with diced cucumber and green pepper if you like.
 

 

Salmorejo (Seville)
Serves 6
 
In metric measurements

1 kilo ripe red tomatoes
120 g dense stale white bread
120 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove (green sprout removed)
1 leveled dessert spoon (3/4 teaspoon) of salt
1 leveled dessert spoon (3/4 teaspoon) of sherry vinegar

In US measurements
 
2 lb 3¼ oz ripe red tomatoes
4¼ oz dense stale white bread
4 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove (green sprout removed)
1 leveled dessert spoon (3/4 teaspoon) of salt
1 leveled dessert spoon (3/4 teaspoon) of sherry vinegar

For garnish: hardboiled egg and chopped Iberian ham.
 
Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and then cut them into quarters. Put them in the blender. Add the bread (if too dry, soak with water first). Next, add the garlic, salt and vinegar. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Blend again and add the extra virgin olive oil to the mix in a slow steady stream in order to create a creamy and salmon orange emulsion. Even out the flavor by adding more salt and vinegar if necessary, but remember that garlic and vinegar will taste stronger after resting in the fridge.
 
Refrigerate salmorejo for at least 2 hours.
 
Before serving, garnish soup with chopped boiled egg, diced ham, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
 
Tip for avoiding grey yolks in hard-boiled eggs: boil water and add a pinch of salt and a few drops of vinegar. Add the egg and boil it for exactly 10 minutes.
 
 
Ajo Blanco ​(Málaga))
Serves 6
 
In metric measurements

100 g peeled raw almonds
1 garlic clove
0.5 liter cold water (or more if you prefer a more liquid texture)
100 -150 g white breadcrumbs (stale bread better)
100 ml extra virgin olive oil 
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or Sherry vinegar
A pinch of salt

In US measurements

3½ oz peeled raw almonds
1 garlic clove
16¾ fl oz cold water
3½–5¼ oz white breadcrumbs
3¼ fl oz extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or Sherry vinegar
A pinch salt
 
Mix the almonds in a blender with the garlic and a little water. Beat until it forms a paste. Add breadcrumbs soaked in water. Beat again. Add the olive oil, vinegar and salt. Beat again. Add the remaining water and beat again.
 
For garnishing we suggest mackerel in oil and some drops of extra virgin olive oil.


For more on Spain's cold soups, see my post Cold Soups for the Hot Zone.