Salmorejo Cordobes

4–6 servings

• 500g good quality day-old white bread, crusts removed
• 1kg peeled tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced into quarters
• 4 tbsp aged sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup finest quality extra virgin olive oil(preferably Spanish)
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup small diced Serrano ham
• 1 hard-boiled egg, chopped

Remove crust from the bread slices and soak in enough water to just cover until softened.

Cut a small x on the bottom of each tomato and briefly blanch them in boiling water, then place into an iced bath. Using this technique, the skin should come off easily.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters, and place along with the chopped garlic into the bowl of a food processor. Drain the bread, squeezing out any excess water and add to the food processor. Process until smooth and all ingredients have been well incorporated. The mixture should be thick and homogenous. Blend in the sherry vinegar and season with salt. Process again.

Once the mixture is homogenous, blend in the olive oil a little at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.

Serve in a soup plate garnished with slices of hard-boiled egg and small pieces of Serrano ham on top.