Gazpacho and salmorejo

Andalusia's two cold tomato soups, cousins with different characters: gazpacho is a drinkable salad of tomato, cucumber and pepper, sharp with sherry vinegar; salmorejo is its thick Cordoban brother - just tomato, bread, oil and garlic - topped with chopped egg and jamón.

Ingredients

• Gazpacho: 1 kg very ripe tomatoes, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 green pepper, 1 small garlic clove, 2 tbsp sherry vinegar, 100 ml extra virgin olive oil, salt
• Salmorejo: 1 kg very ripe tomatoes, 200 g stale white bread (crusts off), 1 small garlic clove, 150 ml extra virgin olive oil, salt
• To top the salmorejo: 1 hard-boiled egg and 50 g jamón, both chopped

Method

1. Gazpacho: chop everything roughly, blend hard for 2-3 minutes with the vinegar and salt, then drizzle in the oil with the motor running until it emulsifies and turns orange. Chill at least 2 hours. Serve in glasses or bowls with finely diced garnish.
2. Salmorejo: core the tomatoes and blend to a puree. Add the bread torn into pieces and let it soak for 5 minutes. Blend again, adding the oil in a stream, until completely smooth and thick like a puree. Salt, chill well.
3. Serve salmorejo in bowls topped with the chopped egg and jamón.

Tips

• Both depend entirely on the tomato: make them in summer, or with the best tomatoes you can find.
• Sherry vinegar is the soul of gazpacho - wine vinegar is not the same thing.