Gazpacho

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the soup:

2 pounds/900 g vine ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 pound/450 g ripe plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 cups/700 ml chicken stock
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
½ green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
½ red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
Two 1/2-inch-/1.5-cm-thick slices country white bread, crusts removed, bread coarsely cubed
1 cup/235 ml tomato juice
1/3 cup/70 ml red wine vinegar
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
½ jalapeno chili, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon/6 g salt
1/2 teaspoon/3 g freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

For the shrimp:

1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
12 large shrimp

Method:

To prepare the soup:

Stir all the ingredients except the olive oil in a large pot or bowl. Set aside to marinate for 2 hours or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

To prepare the shrimp:

Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes or until the shrimp are opaque and just cooked through.

Transfer the shrimp to a plate and allow to cool. Once the shrimp are cool enough to handle, remove the shells then cover and refrigerate the shrimp.

To finish the soup and serve:

Working in batches, place the marinated soup in a blender and blitz until smooth. Transfer the gazpacho to a bowl and freeze until it is very cold. Divide the gazpacho among serving bowls and garnish with 2 shrimp per bowl.  Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil over the soup in each bowl and serve.