RECIPE: Gazpacho - forget the bread, just add gin

It seems there are as many recipes and versions of gazpacho as there are front doors in Andalucía; one of the great debates is whether or not to include bread.
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At Trippets Lounge Bar, they’ve left out the bread...but theye’ve added GIN!

Gin mare was created by the Giró Ribot family, using wild juniper berries and prized Albequina olives, basil, thyme and rosemary alongside the more traditional botanicals.

INGREDIENTS

For the gazpacho:

1 large red pepper

1 large yellow pepper

½ large red onion

⅓ large cucumber

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3-4 very ripe vine tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and roughly chopped

2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3 tbsp Brock & Mortens rapeseed oil

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

250ml cold water

50ml Gin Mare

Salt and pepper

For the Kalamata biscuits:

200g organic rolled oats

140g plain flour

140g cold butter, diced

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

50g Kalamata olives, finely chopped and patted dry

Hot water, as needed

Preparation time:

30 minutes, plus at least one hour chilling

Cooking time: 20 minutes Serves 8 as tapas

For the gazpacho

Remove the seeds from the peppers and set aside a 1.5cm strip of each for the garnish. Roughly chop the remainder.

Set aside about one-sixth of the onion for the garnish and roughly chop the remainder.

Set aside a 2cm piece of the cucumber for the garnish and peel and chop the remainder.

Place all the chopped vegetables in a bowl.

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Add the tomatoes, garlic, oil and vinegar. Lightly season, cover with the water and place in fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.

Remove from the fridge and, using a food processor, blend until smooth.

Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Keep chilled until required.

Finely dice the vegetables that were set aside and mix together.

Before serving, stir in the Gin Mare.

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Serve in a demitasse, small bowl or glass with a teaspoon of the diced vegetables on top and the olive biscuits on the side.

For the Kalamata biscuits

Preheat the oven to 200°c/gas 6.

Put all the dry ingredients except the olives and water in the bowl of a food processor.

Gently blend until the butter is incorporated. Add the olives. On a low speed, slowly add hot water until a soft ‘dough’ is formed. Transfer to a floured surface and roll out until approx. 3-4mm thick.

Cut out biscuits in the desired size and shape (we make 24 6cm biscuits from this amount) and place on a baking tray.

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Work quickly and avoid re-rolling the mixture too many times. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown.

The biscuits can be made in advance, keep well in an airtight container and are fabulous with cheese and paté.