mai serrallach’s gazpacho with sweet, ripe tomatoes

This recipe is dedicated to the memory of Dervila Serrallach Giblin, to her husband Cesc and their family. Dervila, who died far too young, was a great friend to Avoca and is hugely missed in Dublin, Barcelona and beyond. This is her mother-in-law’s fantastic recipe for gazpacho.

INGREDIENTS

serves 4-6

2kg* large ripe tomatoes

1 slice stale artisan white bread

150ml good quality extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish

1 red onion/2 shallots

3tbsp white wine vinegar**

croutons

1 red pepper

1 cucumber

sprig of mint

Gazpacho is best served for lunch on a hot summer’s day. Make it in high season with ripe or slightly over-ripe tomatoes that are a deep red and heavy with flavour. Small greeny orange tomatoes won’t work. Use 1/2-2 large tomatoes per person. Choose a good quality extra virgin olive oil.

To make

Cut the bread into cubes and gently soak. Skin the tomatoes*** and discard the skins.

Place the flesh of the tomatoes in a food processor and blitz. Add plenty of sea salt, freshly ground black peppery, soaked bread and garlic and blitz again. Transfer into a bowl and add the olive oil in a slow trickle, whisking all the time. Chill in the fridge for a few hours.

To make the garnish

Chop the red onion or shallots very finely and marinate in white wine vinegar for as long as possible. Dice the red pepper. Peel and dice the cucumber. Fry or grill the croutons until they are golden.****

To serve

Serve cold and place all or as many of the garnishes as you are using on top of the soup before serving. A sprig of mint will give aroma, taste and colour.

KEY TO SUCCESS

A purist would suggest grating the tomatoes with an old-fashioned cheese grater, pushing the flesh through and discarding the skins.

* 2kg = roughly 4.5lb

** It’s my understanding that grape wine vinegar is one of those items that might not be vegan-friendly; I’ve used rice wine vinegar in this recipe before, and it was just fine. Feel free to use whichever one works for you.

***  Here are instructions on how to quickly peel a tomato.

**** The photo is of last night’s leftovers, and because I had run out of pan-fried croutons, I crumbled some Mary’s Gone Crackers in the bowl for a toasty crunch.

Recipe copied from “A Year at Avoca: A Cookbook”

Published in Ireland in 2010 by Gloss Publications Ltd

Text © Avoca

Photograph is my own

oven-dried tomatoes

I find commercially produced ‘sun-dried’ tomatoes are often lip-pursingly intense, sharp and sometimes a little leathery. Home-dried ones are altogether different. The beauty of drying your own is that you can control their plumpness, sweetness and chewiness. Here I’m aiming for a semi-dried state – intense but still a touch juicy.

This is also, I must concede, a good way to use out-of-season or less-full-flavoured tomatoes, as the seasoning and drying will bring out the best in them. Dried tomatoes are delicious stirred into salads, pasta or couscous, or just served as a piquant nibble with a selection of other dishes. Try them also in a sandwich with goat’s cheese, in a frittata with potatoes and onions, or even stirred into scrambled eggs.

SERVES 4-6

1kg tomatoes

A few sprigs of thyme, broken up

3 bay leaves, each snipped into 2 or 3 pieces

2-3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for storage

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Halve the tomatoes, or quarter particularly large ones. Scoop out and discard the seeds, if you prefer. Stand a wire rack over a double sheet of newspaper.

Combine the sugar with 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of this mixture over the inside of each tomato half, then put the tomatoes upside down on the rack. Leave for 1 hour for the juices to drip.

Preheat the oven to very low, about 100°C*/Gas Mark 1/4. Transfer the tomatoes, turning them cut side up, to a large baking tray. Scatter with the thyme, bay, some black pepper and the olive oil and place in the oven. Check after an hour or two – just in case your oven is hotter than it says! It should take 4-5 hours to get the tomatoes ‘semi-dried’: ie considerably reduced but still quite tender and plump. This is how I like them. However, you can leave them in the oven for 7-8 hours – to become much more like commercial ‘sun-dried’ tomatoes.

Tossed in a generous amount of olive oil, these oven-dried tomatoes will keep for a few days in the fridge. You’ll find endless uses for them.

* 100°C = 200-225°F

Recipe copied from “River Cottage Veg Every Day!”

First published in Great Britain 2011 by Bloomsbury Publishing

Text © 2011 by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Photography © 2011 by Simon Wheeler

chachouka

This spicy North-African pepper and tomato stew with eggs baked on top makes a lovely, lazy supper. The classic Italian peperonata* is prepared in the same way but without eggs or spices – it is equally good.

SERVES 4

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 large onion, halved and finely sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 red [bell] pepper, cored, deseeded and finely sliced

1 yellow [bell] pepper, cored deseeded and finely sliced

1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika

A pinch of saffron strands

400g** tin plum tomatoes

4 eggs

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large, preferably ovenproof, frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them fry gently for a couple of minutes. Add the onion and cook gently for 8-10 minutes, or until soft and golden.

Add the garlic and peppers and continue to cook over a low heat for at least 20 minutes, stirring often, until the peppers are soft and wilted. Add the paprika, crumble in the saffron, then add the tomatoes with their juice and some salt and pepper. Cook gently, stirring from time to time, for 10-15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C***/Gas Mark 4.

Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning if necessary. If your frying pan isn’t ovenproof, transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Make 4 hollows in the surface and carefully break an egg into each one. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the egg white is set and the yolk still runny.

* VARIATION

Peperonata

Simply leave out the cumin, paprika, saffron and eggs, serving the stew after simmering – with bread and/or a crisp green salad.

** 400g = 15oz. can

*** 180°C = 350°F

Recipe copied from “River Cottage Veg Every Day!”

First published in Great Britain 2011 by Bloomsbury Publishing

Text © 2011 by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Photography © 2011 by Simon Wheeler

pappardelle salad with chargrilled vegetables

This salad was developed in the Avoca café in Suffolk Street, by the vastly experienced head chef John Dunne, for our gourmet salad bar. Delicious on its own as a light lunch or as a simple supper with some barbecued chicken, lamb or fish.

INGREDIENTS

serves 8

500g* De Cecco** pappardelle or fresh egg pasta

2-3tbsp Avoca or other good quality semi-sundried tomato pesto***

3 assorted [bell] peppers, cut into very thick slices

1 courgette [zucchini], sliced at an angle

1 red onion, peeled and cut into 8

1 bunch asparagus

1 punnet [pint-sized amount] very ripe cherry vine tomatoes or tomberries (miniature tomatoes)

50g pine nuts, toasted

100g Parmesan shavings ****

fresh torn basil leaves

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

*** Semi-sundried tomato pesto

150g dry semi-sundried tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

30g basil leaves

pinch dried chilli flakes or 1/4 diced red chilli (optional)

1tsp drained capers in brine

1/2 teaspoon tomato purée

30g pine nuts

12ml olive oil

50g Parmesan, grated****

1tsp red or white wine vinegar

To make the semi-sundried tomato pesto

Soften the semi-sundried tomatoes in boiling water for 30 minutes and drain well. Place all the paste ingredients in a food processor exept the oil and gently mix using the pulse setting- then gradually add the olive oil in a steady stream until mixed. This will keep well in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a month and is great for marinating chicken breasts, delicious instead of butter in some sandwiches and makes a quick supper with pasta and some Parmesan shavings.

To make [the salad]

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water for about 6-8 minutes until al dente, less if you are using fresh pasta. Drain and rinse immediately under cold water. Drain again, then place in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, add 2-3 teaspoons of the pesto … and mix well.

Put all the prepared vegetables into a bowl, season with a little sea salt and pepper and toss in the olive oil. Pre-heat a large griddle pan (this can be quite smoky, so open the window) or barbecue.***** Cook the vegetables turning from time to time, 2-3 minutes will suffice for the asparagus and courgettes, and 4-6 minutes for the peppers, aubergine and onions. Add the cooked vegetables to the pasta and mix well. Finally, add the cherry tomatoes, Parmesan shavings, the toasted pine nuts and the torn basil leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning.

To toast the pine nuts

Put on a flat baking tray under the grill [broiler]. Watch carefully, they burn easily.

To serve

Since the colours are wonderful serve this tasty pasta in a simple white dish.

AGAINST THE CLOCK It is possible to buy good quality chargrilled vegetables marinated in olive oil, however they are not as colourful as freshly charred (your salad will not look as good) but great if you are in a hurry.

* Here’s a gram converter for equivalent in cups.

** Any brand of pappardelle or similar egg noodle should be fine.

**** Parmesan cheese can be eliminated altogether if you prefer.

***** Roasting the veggies in the oven works perfectly well. Tenderer veggies need less time than the others.

Recipe copied from “A Year at Avoca: A Cookbook”

Published in Ireland in 2010 by Gloss Publications Ltd

Text and photographs © Avoca