GAZPACHO IN A WARM STYLE
Traditional gazpacho is served cold, but I always liked it warm with some little hotness to it. Here's one fine variant that I always enjoy once the tomatoes and peppers get in season during late summer.
4 servings:
20 plum tomatoes
4 red peppers
1/2 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 shallots, choped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 liter/1 pint of vegetable or chicken stock
olive oil
salt, pepper
parmesan, olive oil and basil for garnish
Start by grilling the red peppers in the oven in high heat, until their skin can be peeled. Most chefs like to make them all black, since the heat makes them more sweet, although I feel they taste burned at this point as well. For me, a better way is to just grill the peppers so the skin can be peeled, and then to fry them in a pan to improve their sweetness. Well, the choice is yours. Once the peppers have been peeled then, deseed them and chop into smaller chunks. Sweat them in a pan on moderate heat for about 5 minutes in a little olive oil.
While you grilling the peppers it is also good to prepare tomatoes. Score them with a knife making two lines almost all around the tomato letting them cross each other at the bottom. Then put tomatoes into a bowl, pour boiling water over them until they are covered and let them stand for half a minute. Pour off the water, cool with cold water, and now the skin should be easy to peel off (if not, repeat the procedure). Dessed the tomatoes, and chop them into chunks.
When the peppers have fried for a while, add the chopped garlic and shallots, and chili (more or less of it depending on how hot you want to have the soup). Let them all sweat for another 2 minutes. Then, add the tomatoes and vinegar and let it all cook for about 15 minutes on moderate low heat so the tomatoes get soft and melt. Then add the stock and simmer for another 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. You can also add some more vinegar if you want more acidity, or some sugar for more sweetness, or some Tabasco for hotness. Now, take a burr mixer and purée the soup partially. Pour the gazpacho into serving bowls and garnish. Serve!