Late Summer Tapas
We thought we would unearth some Spanish roots for a beautiful pairing to our 2019 Privado Red Wine, and focus on creating something robust, but still perfectly matched to the late summer weather.
Originating from Andalusia in Southern Spain, Salmorejo is a traditional dish that’s also simple to make. As a chilled soup, it’s cooling, light, and easy, but is bursting with vibrant and savory flavors, further accentuated by the garnish of chopped egg and Serrano ham.
Wild mushrooms with sherry are the perfect accompaniment, and serving them on warmly toasted fresh bread, completes the meal with elegance and simplicity. The bright flavor of the sherry brings out the elegance and dense dark fruit notes of our James Cole 2019 Privado Red Wine, amplifying its velvety tannins and lingering finish.
We think this is a pairing that you’ll be returning to on warm summer days, with the perfect balance of hearty and light flavors on your palate to accompany this timeless red wine.
Make sure to make the soup ahead of time, so it has ample time to chill!
Chilled Salmorejo (chilled Spanish soup) with Wild Mushroom Sherry Toast
Ingredients:
For Both
One loaf of sourdough bread
3 - 4 cloves of garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Sherry Vinegar
For the Salmarejo
10 - 12 fresh Roma tomatoes
Hard Boiled Egg
Spanish Cured Ham like Serrano or Iberico (Prosciutto can be substituted)
Wild Mushroom Sherry Toast
400 grams wild mushrooms (we used trumpet, shitake, bella, oyster and chanterelle)
1 small onion (yellow or white)
150 mg of Fino Sherry (or substitute any dry Spanish Sherry)
Pinch of nutmeg
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method:
Salmorejo
Place your tomatoes in a large bowl of hot water and leave there for about 3-4 minutes, until the skin softens. Peel the tomatoes, and remove pits and seeds, then roughly chop and place inside blender.
Add 2 – 3 cloves of garlic to tomatoes and blend on high for 2-3 minutes
Take about 1 - 2 cups of chopped bread (primarily crustless), and put in tomato mixture to soak for bout 5 minutes.
Blend on high again, adding 1 – 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar (to taste), and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust as needed.
Chill the soup for at least 2 hours.
Once cooled, remove from fridge and spoon into bowls. Dice hard-boiled egg and ham, sprinkle on top of the Salmarejo. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Wild Mushroom Sherry Toast
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Chop wild mushrooms into bite-size pieces, dice the onion, and one clove of garlic. Cut sourdough bread into slices.
Heat about 5 Tbsp. olive oil in a large frying pan under medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 5 – 7 minutes (or until golden and sweet), then add garlic and cook for one more minute.
Turn the heat up slightly and add mushrooms, cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring every so often.
Add about 2/3 cup of the sherry, the pinch of nutmeg, 1 tsp. of sherry vinegar and stir. Add parsley and salt and pepper (to taste). Turn off the heat.
Place sliced bread into the oven for about 2 - 3 mins or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and top with mushroom mixture. Pour the remaining liquid over the top of toast.
Serving suggestion: slice some aged manchego cheese as a nibble on the side!
Serve with 2019 James Cole Privado. Enjoy!