Kingfisher Salmorejo
Wonderful complex flavors and textures combine to make this soup so satisfying.
Ingredients
- 1 full-size French baguette
- 4 cups Very cold water
- 8 oz. Blanched almond meal
- 3 cloves Garlic, peeled
- 3 Tbsp. Sherry vinegar
- 1 1/4 tsp. Salt
- Pinch Cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. Capers
- 1 Tbsp. Blanched whole hazelnuts
- 2 large Tomatoes
Instructions
Prepare the Garnish:
- Cut two thin slices from the baguette, brush lightly with EVOO, salt and pepper. Toast in the oven to make a crostini. Let cool.
- Fry the capers in a neutral oil until crispy. Drain and let cool.
- Toast the hazelnuts in oven at 300 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes until just toasted. Pulse in a food processor until chunky, but not dust.
To make the Soup:
- Halve the tomatoes horizontally, remove seeds and membrane. Brush with oil, season lightly and smoke at 250 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool.
- Cut the baguette into large cubes, dunk in very cold water in a bowl and soak for 5 minutes.
- Gently squeeze the water out of the bread cubes and transfer the bread and 1 cup of bread water to the blender. Blend until smooth.
- Separately add the blanched almond meal, garlic, vinegar, smoked tomatoes, 1 1/4 tsp. salt and cayenne pepper and process for about 2 minutes until the mixture is like batter.
- Add the blanched almond mixture to the blended bread and blend until very smooth.
- With the motor running, stream in the olive oil slowly over 30 seconds. Then stream in the remaining bread water. Process for 1 minute.
- Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer, gently coaxing the liquid out of the solids. Discard the solids. Season to taste.
- Chill the soup for at least 3 hours (up to 24).
- Before serving, garnish with crispy capers, crumbled crostini and toasted hazelnut chunks.