Roasted Red Pepper Gazpacho with Serrano Crisps - National Cookbook Month

As October is National Cookbook Month we wanted to share with you some of the recipes from Emma’s cookbooks!

The following recipe comes from Emma’s Home Deli Recipes cookbook and is perfect in the run up to Christmas! Go ahead and treat yourself! 

Choose the most flavoursome, fragrant, vine-ripened tomatoes that you can find and you’ll be rewarded with the best-tasting gazpacho.

Serves 4 
Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus chilling 
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
2 romano red peppers
1kg/2lb 4oz large vine-ripened tomatoes
2 slices of day-old bread, crusts removed
1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and
chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 garlic clove
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lime and 1 lemon
1 tsp caster sugar
a few drops of Tabasco sauce
4–6 slices of Serrano ham
1 handful of basil leaves, for sprinkling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Croûtons:
2 slices of day-old bread, crusts removed
1 garlic clove, halved lengthways
2 tbsp olive oil

Method
Preheat the grill to high. Grill the peppers for 15 minutes, turning them occasionally, until softened and blackened in places. Put the peppers in a plastic bag and leave for 5 minutes (this will make the skins easier to remove). Remove the skin and seeds and leave to one side.

Meanwhile, using a small, sharp knife, cut a shallow cross in the bottom of each tomato, then put them in a heatproof bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Leave to stand for 2 minutes, then drain. Peel off and discard the tomato skins, then deseed and cut the flesh into large chunks.

Soak the bread in 150ml/5fl oz/scant ²âˆ•³ cup water in a shallow dish for 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the dish (it will have absorbed most of the water) and tear into chunks.

Put half the soaked bread, roasted peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, chilli, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lime and lemon juice in a blender with 200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup cold water and blend until combined but chunky.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients and another 200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup cold water. Combine the two batches in a large jug, stir in the sugar and a few drops of Tabasco and season. Chill, covered, for 2–3 hours.

To make the croûtons, rub the bread slices with the cut side of the garlic cloves. Cut the bread into cubes and put them in a small plastic bag with the oil. Seal the bag and shake gently to coat the bread in the olive oil. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan and fry the croûtons over a medium heat for 6–8 minutes until crisp and golden all over. Leave to drain on kitchen paper

.
Wipe the frying pan clean and add the ham in a single layer. Cook for 3 minutes, or until crisp, turning once.

Leave to cool slightly, then break into large bite-sized pieces. Ladle the soup into bowls and scatter the croûtons, Serrano crisps and basil leaves over before serving.

Image:

From The Bay Tree Home Deli Recipes by Emma MacDonald © Nourish Books 2013, commissioned photography by Toby Scott

Recipe:
The Bay Tree Home Deli Recipes © Emma MacDonald 2013 published by Nourish Books, London
Hardback
£20.00

Banner Images:

From The Bay Tree Preserving by Emma MacDonald, Nourish Books 2014
From The Bay Tree Home Deli Recipes by Emma MacDonald, Nourish Books 2013