Cold Soup

Amada's chef de cuisine shows us how to make salmorejo.

by Felicia D' Ambrosio

Neal Santos

MacGregor Mann couldn't survive another Chicago winter. After 18 months at Jose Garces' Midwestern outpost of Catalan cuisine, Mercat a la Planxa, the young chef helped earn the Chicago restaurant a spot on Esquire's "Best New Restaurants" list — which earned him a ticket back East. "Jose called me and said, 'Do you want to come home and run Amada for me?'" says the restaurant's newly installed chef de cuisine.

Mann is now collaborating with his boss on the restaurant's most significant menu change in some time: 11 new items, available a la carte or as part of the "La Mesa de Jose" tasting menu ($55) that runs through August.

Mann shared Amada's recipe for a classic Cordoban gazpacho, salmorejo, that makes good use of summer's local tomato bounty. At Amada, the soup is garnished with Serrano ham crisps, diced Hiramasa kingfish belly, strawberry paint and dehydrated black olive dust. Our recipe (yield: approximately 1 quart) has been adapted for a home cook. Mann noted that he uses xanthan gum, an emulsifier, in place of the traditional stale bread to lend body to the salmorejo. (Those with molecular inclinations can find xanthan gum at numerous online retailers.)

Salmorejo

1 3/4 pounds extra ripe beefsteak tomatoes

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (reserved)

1 gram xanthan gum or 1 cup diced stale baguette

Boil a pot of salted water. Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato. When water boils, submerge each tomato, one at a time, for 15 to 20 seconds. Lift out and peel away skin. Remove core and seeds. Set aside in fridge.

Working in batches, combine some of the tomatoes, garlic and vinegar with a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Then add some of the 3/4 cup of olive oil in a thin stream to each batch to emulsify, creating a fluffy, creamy texture.

Combine all the batches and press through chinois strainer and discard solids. Return mixture to blender and add xanthan gum or bread and emulsify the reserved olive oil into the mixture. Taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

(felicia.dambrosio@citypaper.net)