RECIPE BY DAVID WILLCOCKS, THE SURLY GOAT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD CORNISH

Chef David Willcocks worked in the south of Spain where he dined with famed chef Dani Garcia. This is his take on Garcia’s gazpacho. Served well-chilled is a refreshing dish on a hot day. The addition of the cherry puree to the gazpacho lifts the tomatoes with its sweetness and adds an extra dimension to the classic Spanish dish. Garnish with a few ripe tomatoes, pitted cherries, grated frozen cherve, a fillet of good quality Spanish anchovies and pistachios, or equally keep a bottle in the fridge as David does in his house to be enjoyed whenever. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1KG RIPE TOMATOES DICED 

• ONION CHOPPED 

• RED CAPSICUM SEEDED AND CHOPPED 

• CLOVE O F GARLIC 

• 50ML EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE O I L 

• 1 SLICE TWO-DAY OLD WHITE BREAD, BROKEN INTO SMALL PIECES 

• 30G SHERRY VINEGAR 

• 250G CHERRIES, PITTED AND PUREED UNTIL SMOOTH 

• SALT 

• 4 CHERRY TOMATOES 

• 4 CHERRIES 

• EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 

• 4 ANCHOVIES 

• 40G FROZEN GOATS CHEESE (OPTIONAL) 
  

METHOD

In a blender, add the tomatoes, onion, capsicum, garlic and bread. Blend on high speed for 5 minutes or until smooth, season with the salt, vinegar and olive oil and blend again to incorporate. Pass through a sieve to remove any remaining seeds and tomato skin. Return the soup to the blender and incorporate the cherry puree, once smooth check the seasoning and adjust to your preferred taste with the salt and vinegar and chill the soup well prior to serving 

Serve the chilled soup directly into a chilled bowl and decorate with ripe tomatoes into bite size pieces and mix with a couple of pitted cherry halves and spoon onto one side of the bowl. Lay a fillet of anchovy over the tomatoes. 

Drizzle a small amount of olive oil onto the soup and place a few kernels of pistachio around. 

Just prior to serving, grate the frozen goat’s cheese over the tomatoes. Serve with a glass of fino sherry.