Thanks to the films of Pedro Almodovar, many have heard about this classic spanish dish like gazpacho. These days under this the name understands not only the classic Andalusian recipe cold tomato soup, but any other in which shredded raw vegetables or even fruits are used. Gazpacho many cooking lovers consider one of the best recipes spanish food.
From the depths of centuries
The heat pushed the poor of Andalusia, working all day for the sun, invent a dish that quenches thirst well. And it’s for them succeeded. Already at the beginning of our era the gazpacho recipe was widely common among shepherds and peasants in the Spanish region Al Andalus.
Until the 15th century, the population of Al-Andalus was mainly composed of Arabs, Mosarabs and Jews. Today, there are at least two versions of the origin of the word gazpacho:
Some researchers believe that the primary source served the Mozarabic word “caspa”, which means “remnants”. what it is quite possible, because in the recipe for soup enterprising peasants used the remnants of products always available at home.
Others consider the source to be consonant with the old Jewish the word “gazaz”, that is, “shredded.” The version deserves attention, as it reflects the essence of the soup preparation process.
By the way, sometimes spelling a word occurs through a double “H”. Which is fundamentally wrong, since this is typical for Italian language, and gazpacho – Spanish word formation. In a sister Portuguese word “gazpacho” pronounced in its own way gazpashu.
According to one legend, gazpacho was once invented by mule drivers. For it was enough for them to take soup along garlic, butter, cucumbers and crackers. On a halt they are inside coated clay pot with crushed garlic, salt and olive oil. Then lay sliced cucumbers in layers and tomatoes, sprinkling them with bread crumbs and pouring oil. By wetting clothes, they wrapped her a pot and left her in the sun. Dish It was considered ready when the clothes dried out.
However, this version is very doubtful, since gazpacho was It is known much earlier than tomatoes began to appear in Spain.
According to another legend, this recipe comes from Roman legionnaires, which once conquered the Iberian Peninsula. Some ingredients the soups were in their standard daily food ration. Experienced warriors, they knew that a mixture of salt, garlic and vinegar helped fight dehydration while bread with olive oil gave strength.
The gazpacho story is clearly divided by Columbus’ discovery of the West Indies. Before that, Europe did not know tomatoes and peppers, and in the recipe for soup included garlic, bread, vinegar and butter. It is clear that the taste of the dish was somewhat different.
Tomatoes greatly changed the famous soup of the poor. For his peasants took highly overripe tomatoes prevent spoilage of products. However, the taste of the soup from this only won by becoming richer and easier. So modernized gazpacho began to win new fans.
Varieties of gazpacho
Before the appearance in a classic tomato soup, in Andalusia knew the white and green recipe of the dish.
Achoblanco (from Spanish) is a typical recipe for Granada and Malaga. It consists of four ingredients of the classic gazpacho: water, butter, garlic and bread. However, they are also added to them. ground almonds, salt, vinegar. Achoblanco usually serves grapes or a slice of melon. After the war, during the total deficit, almonds replaced the flour from dried beans.
It is believed that this dish from Andalusian cuisine was invented in Seville or Malaga, but there is no exact data on this.
Take the stale bread for the recipe and soak it overnight. Grind the almonds in a mortar with garlic, sometimes adding vinegar to pasty consistency. Add water or oil and carefully beat the whole mixture.
In Granada, achoblanco is sometimes served with baked potatoes. At This soup is made more liquid, and they drink it directly from a glass. Firstly the festival is held in the city of Almachar in Malaga in September lovers of achoblanco.
In the green recipe, additives from any kind are supposed to be based on edible herbs to your taste. The homeland of the green recipe is often called Huelva and Sierra Morena. Now they’re not adding to the recipe only herbs, but also any other product, the main thing is color saved.
Culinary notes
Classic gazpacho
Necessary!
- fresh tomato – 15 pcs.
- cucumber – 4 pcs.
- pepper cl. red – 3 pcs.
- garlic – 4 cloves
- red onion – 1 pc.
- olive oil. – 125 ml
- salt is marine. – 1 tablespoon
- stale bread – 4 slices
- fresh parsley – 1 bunch
Cooking!
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Wash peppers with oil and bake until soft. Then remove the peel, core and peduncle.
- Crush the prepared garlic with a knife, add salt and grind in a mortar to gruel.
- In the process, you need to add bread in small pieces and pour drop by drop olive oil.
- Leave the finished mixture to stand.
- Cut the peeled onions in half rings, pour with water (half a glass), add vinegar.
- Blanch tomatoes, peel them. Remove the seeds.
- Cut the peel from the cucumbers.
- Coarsely chop the greens.
- Puree greens, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and bow.
- Gently add the emulsion to the grated vegetables and remove in refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
Achoblanco Malagueno
Necessary!
- stale white bread (without crusts) – 250 g
- water for soaking bread
- raw almonds – 100 g
- garlic – 2 cloves
- water (cold) – 1.5 l
- olive oil – 200 ml
- red wine vinegar
Cooking!
- Soak the bread. Peel almonds scalded with boiling water from skins, mix it with garlic and a little salt. Puree mixture, bringing it to the most subtle state. Wring out the bread add it to the mixture and mashed again.
- During mixing, the oil should be poured in a thin stream, preferably in drops to form an emulsion. Then the same a way to add vinegar and cold water. Do everything slowly and carefully, otherwise the resulting curd mass.
- Achoblanco should be served chilled. Garnish it grapes, thinly sliced apple and melon. You can also use shrimp.
Green gazpacho
- Necessary!
- lettuce – 1 head
- various green herbs from salads to mint – 6 bunches
- olive. oil – 100 ml
- sherry vinegar – 2 tbsp. l
- salt fruit drink.
- garlic – 2 cloves
- water (cold)
Cooking!
- Rinse the herbs, sort, cut into strips, mix.
- Grate the garlic and salt in a mortar into the pulp. In the process of pouring drop oil to form an emulsion.
- Without stopping grinding the mixture, pour vinegar and some water.
- Pour in a mass of grass and add cold water.
- Consume immediately.
Now, in addition to the classic red tomato recipe, as well the green grass and white achoblanco are prepared:
- fruit and berry gazpacho, where additional ingredients perform strawberries, pineapple, mango, melon, blueberries, lemon, ginger;
- “golden” gazpacho, where instead of red take yellow varieties Tomatoes
- baked gazpacho, where toasts are baked under hot soup.
Also known recipes for gazpacho served as a cocktail or salad. Sometimes it is served as a kind of designer. On the table Serve the main soup, and next exhibited in the form of “spare parts” finely chopped jamon (jerky pork ham), various vegetables and nuts, sugar, bread croutons, grated with garlic, meat and seafood. All kinds of additives are allowed for the soup, most importantly, to please guests.
Spaniards tend to improvise, and therefore the old classic the dish has so many varieties in the provinces.
