Andaluz Recipes

GAZPACHO ANDALUZ

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine the bread and water and allow to soak for a few minutes. Place in a food processor with the peppers, onion, cucumber, garlic, and salt, to taste, and process until smooth. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, and olive oil and process until smooth.
• To serve, place in small bowls and garnish with diced tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Drizzle with sherry vinegar.

GAZPACHO ANDALUZ

Steps:

• Put the bread in a bowl and add water to cover. Let soak for 5 minutes until softened. Squeeze out the water and place the bread in a blender container (or, if using a hand-held blender, into a mixing bowl) with the garlic. Blend until the bread and garlic are smooth.
• To seed the tomatoes: cut out the stem and core, then cut the tomatoes in half crosswise. Either spoon out the seeds or else squeeze the tomatoes through a sieve placed over a bowl. The seeds will squeeze out; the juice will collect in the bowl. It is then ready to be added to the gazpacho as pulp.
• Add the tomato pulp to the bread and garlic, and puree. Add the cumin and salt and, with the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream. As the oil is incorporated, the gazpacho will turn from red tomato-juice to a paler, peacher color. Blend in the vinegar. Thin the gazpacho with water to the desired consistency.
• Place the blended contents in a tureen, bowl or pitcher. Chill until serving time.
• Place each of the garnishes in separate small bowls or on a divided relish dish and pass them around the table when the gazpacho is served. Each person can add their desired spoonfuls on to their gazpacho.
• This gazpacho can also be served, thinned with additional water, in tall glasses for sipping, without the garnishes.

GAZPACHO ANDALUZ

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl combine the six slices of diced bread, 3 very ripe chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped cucumber, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 quart of water. Let soak for 1 hour, then puree blender, half at a time, on high speed for 8 seconds. Strain through a coarse sieve into a large soup bowl.
• Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tbsp wine vinegar, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 4 ice cubes. Chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.
• Meanwhile in separate dishes put the diced pepper, diced ripe tomato, diced cucumber. Dice the 2 slices of bread, brush with melted butter, and brown. Place your croutons in a separate dish as well.
• Serve the gazpacho in well chilled bowls. Let each person help themselves to the diced garnishes in the small dishes, sprinkling some of each into their own soup bowl.

CREAMY GAZPACHO ANDALUZ

Steps:

• Roughly chop 2 pounds of tomatoes, half of cucumber, half of bell pepper, and half of onion and place in large bowl. Add garlic, chile, and 1½ teaspoons salt; toss until well combined. Set aside.
• Cut remaining tomatoes, cucumber, and pepper into ¼-inch dice; place vegetables in medium bowl. Mince remaining onion and add to diced vegetables. Toss with ½ teaspoon salt and transfer to fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl. Set aside 1 hour.
• Transfer drained diced vegetables to medium bowl and set aside. Add bread pieces to exuded liquid (there should be about ¼ cup) and soak 1 minute. Add soaked bread and any remaining liquid to roughly chopped vegetables and toss thoroughly to combine.
• Transfer half of vegetable-bread mixture to blender and process 30 seconds. With blender running, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup oil and continue to blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain soup through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl, using back of ladle or rubber spatula to press soup through strainer. Repeat with remaining vegetable-bread mixture and 1/4 cup olive oil.
• Stir vinegar, minced herb, and half of diced vegetables into soup and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours to chill completely and develop flavors. Serve, passing remaining diced vegetables, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and black pepper separately.
• Note: If kosher salt is not available, half the amount of table salt can be used.