Salmorejo

Makes 6 to 8 servings (makes 4¾ cups)

This is akin to gazpacho but made creamy and thicker with cooked egg yolks and day-old bread. It is inexpensive to make yet refined — and a beautiful color. Hojiblanca or arbequina olive oil is recommended here; the former for its slight sweetness, and the latter for its fruity flavor. For striking color and flavor, add a beet; see variation, below.

5¼ ounces crustless day-old bread or

firm bread 2 hard-cooked eggs, separated into

yolks and whites 2½ pounds hulled, peeled, seeded

tomatoes (see note) 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, plus more as needed 2 to 2½ tablespoons Jimenez or good-quality Spanish sherry vinegar 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably hojiblanca or arbequina olive variety (see headnote) 3½ ounces minced Iberian or cured

ham, for garnish

Instructions: Place the bread in a mixing bowl; barely cover it with water and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain it and squeeze out the excess moisture.

Transfer the bread to the blender along with the cooked egg yolks, tomatoes, garlic (to taste), salt, vinegar (to taste) and oil; purée to an almost mayonnaise-like consistency. Divide among individual small bowls or glasses.

Mince the remaining egg whites, then top each portion with a bit of them, and the ham. Season lightly with salt, as you like.

Note: To peel the tomatoes, score a shallow X in the bottoms. Submerge them in a bowl of just-boiled water for 20 to 30 seconds, then immediately transfer to an ice-water bath.

The skins will slip off easily. Seed the tomatoes by cutting them into wedges, then removing the pockets of gel from each one.

Variation: Add 1 cooked beet (3 ounces; about the size of an apricot) to the blender and an extra small pinch of salt.