| Gazpacho _________________________________________ Don’t always think of gazpacho as soup. Think of it is a sauce. Think of it hot as well as cold. It goes beautifully with grilled chicken or fish. This soup couldn’t be easier; it achieves its powerful flavor simply by overnight maceration, which is the only “cooking” involved. 1 cup chopped red onions 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup chopped English cucumber 1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes 1 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 cup tomato paste 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil* 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 3 cups tomato juice Sprig of thyme Balsamic Glaze (see following) in a squeeze bottle Mix all the ingredients except the balsamic glaze together in a bowl or other container, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, remove the thyme and blend all the ingredients in a blender until the gazpacho is smooth. You will have about 2 quarts. For a smoother texture, strain the soup to yield about 1 quart. Refrigerate the gazpacho until ready to serve. To complete: Ladle the cold soup into bowls and squeeze dots of balsamic glaze over the top. Balsamic Glaze or Port Wine Glaze 2 cups balsamic vinegar or port wine We use glazes often in the cheese course, always sparingly, because they are so intense. When making a vinegar or wine glaze, reduce it slowly, almost as if you were letting it evaporate. If you boil it too hard, the acid will remain an make the glaze too sharp. Reducing it too slowly and gently results in a much softer tasting glaze. It’s easiest to control the heat with the aid of a heat diffuser. Heat the vinegar or port in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until steam rises from the liquid. Place the saucepan on a heat diffuser and let the liquid reduce very slowly (it shoudn’t simmer) for 2 to 3 hours, until it has reduced and thickened to a syrupy glaze. There should be approximately 1/2 cup of balsamic glaze or 1/4 cup of port glaze. Keep the glaze in a squeeze bottle at room temperature for garnishing plates; if the glaze is too thick, warm the bottle in hot water to loosen the glaze. Excerpted from The French Laundry Cookbook,* Copyright (c) 1999 by Thomas Keller. Reprinted with permission by Workman Publishing. * Available on the Web. |
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