Salmoreig, or salmorejo as some call it, is a cold soup that's been cooling us down for generations. You make it with raw tomatoes, bread, oil, and a splash of vinegar. Simple ingredients that somehow become something quite special when you blend them together. Ingredients for 4 people 1.5 kg ripe tomatoes. 100g bread (a day or two old works best). 1 clove of garlic (peeled, with the green shoot removed). 100ml extra virgin olive oil. 200ml cold water. 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. salt. 4 hard-boiled eggs. serrano or ibérico ham (sliced very thin). Preparation Wash and peel the tomatoes without blanching them first. Just use a good peeler or a sharp knife. Cut out the seeds and set the flesh aside. Soak the bread in the cold water until it softens up nicely. Put the tomatoes in a large bowl along with the garlic, oil, salt, soaked bread, and vinegar. Blend everything until you get a smooth, creamy sauce. Taste it and add more salt if needed, then p...
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 4 veal loin steaks (cut a bit thick).
- 3 tablespoons cognac.
- 80cc extra virgin olive oil.
- 1 tablespoon mixed peppercorns (five-pepper blend).
- flaky sea salt.
For the artichokes:
- 8 fresh artichokes.
- 2 slices lean bacon.
- 4 spring garlic shoots (or young garlic).
- chopped parsley.
- extra virgin olive oil.
- salt.
Preparation
Grind the peppercorns with a spice mill and mix them with the 80cc of olive oil.
Brush the veal steaks with this peppery oil and let them rest in the fridge for at least two hours. This gives the meat time to really soak up those flavors.
When you're ready to cook, season the bacon slices with a pinch of salt and pepper, then brown them on a very hot griddle or pan.
Once the bacon is nicely crisped and cooked through, chop it into small dice and set it aside.
Now for the artichokes. Clean them well, peel away the tough outer leaves, and scoop out any fuzzy choke from the center if they have it. Cut each artichoke into quarters.
Drop the artichoke pieces into a bowl of cold water with a handful of parsley. This little trick keeps them from turning brown while you finish the prep.
Drain the artichokes, toss out the parsley, and sauté them with the garlic (chopped into small pieces) over medium heat until they're tender.
Just before you take them off the heat, stir in the reserved bacon bits and a spoonful of chopped parsley.
In a separate pan, get it really hot, then sear the veal steaks for about 2 minutes on each side. They should get a nice golden crust. Pour in the cognac and let it flame up briefly, then sprinkle with flaky salt. Bring everything straight to the table while it's still sizzling, with the artichokes served right alongside the meat.
