Gazpacho andaluz
Gazpacho
My story
One of the most famous dishes in Spain, there are plenty of recipes, each valid in its own way, but with a common characteristic, the red tomatoes we get from the summer harvest. Spanish gazpacho origins can be traced back to the southern part of the country, in Andalucia and the first recipes included bread, oil, vinegar, and garlic. Tomato was apparently added to the recipe when tomatoes and peppers were imported from America in the XVI century. I adapted this recipe from one my sister used to make. Since she died of breast cancer last May, this one is very special for me and the first in her memory. When she was at home in Mallorca with us, she would make this to begin any meal, whether it was lunch or dinner. As of today, I haven't found anyone who doesn't like a good bowl of gazpacho. It's always fresh and delicious.
Ingredients
1 kg tomatoes
½ small cucumber
½ green sweet pepper
1 garlic clove
60ml jerez vinegar
100ml olive oil
6grs salt
Recipe
Cut the tomatoes into small pieces, as well as the cucumber and peppers. Put everything in a bowl and add garlic, a little vinegar, salt and olive oil. Let it marinate for a couple of hours. Blend everything together until it forms a solid paste. Pass this paste through a sieve to separate the liquid from the pulp. Transfer to a clean bowl and add the remaining vinegar, salt and olive oil. Taste and correct if more salt is needed.
Refrigerate for at least 5-6 hours before eating and always consume very cold. It is best to store in jars to maintain freshness.
You can eat it with small pieces of onion, sweet green pepper or boiled eggs. In this picture you can see gazpacho accompanied by “quelitas" or “Galetes d’oli”, a Mallorcan tradition. For the “Quelitas” recipe click here.
