Salmorejo- Spanish appetizer

If any of you have ever heard of Gazpacho, a cold tomato soup, Salmorejo (pronounced Sal-mo-ray-hoe) is a similar dish that is a bit thicker. I learned how to make this when I was in Spain and crave it all the time!

Ingredients:

3-4 very ripe, very red tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp spoon vinegar
4 tbsp of virgin olive oil
Salt to taste (sea salt is best)
2 hard boiled eggs
3-4 slices of Serrano ham or Prosciutto ham for garnishing
1 loaf of day old/ stale French bread –It should be very dry (but not moldy)
1 fresh loaf of French bread or Bruschetta to dip in the Salmorejo once it is finished

Preparation:

Slice your French bread up and peel or cut off the crust using a large, serrated knife.Chop the tomatoes up and put them in the blender with the oil, vinegar, garlic and a little salt.
Blend this all together and then start to add the stale bread bit by bit. The mixture will very quickly become thicker and as you add the bread it will take longer for it to mix through. I tend to hold back one tomato so that when the last bit of bread doesn't mix through I can add the tomato to loosen things up. When no more bread will mix through, the Salmorejo is ready. You may not need to add all the bread or you may need a bit more.

Pour the Salmorejo into a bowl and chill it in the fridge.

Lay strips of ham on a cookie sheet covered with foil and bake until crispy. Cool the ham and chop it up.Just before serving garnish with chopped up egg white and Serrano or Prosciutto ham.Serve in individual bowls for a first course to a meal or in a larger bowl surrounded by bread for a party appetizer.

Buen provecho!
(Enjoy)