Atrio's Tomato Soup: A Journey to Childhood and Gastronomic Excellence

Among Toño Pérez's most emblematic creations is tomato soup, a dish that connects haute cuisine with the flavours of memory. Tomato soup is one of the dishes that most reminds Toño of his home, in particular his childhood and his mother, Justina Pozo. Specifically, tomato soup with grapes, figs and melon; it is a special recipe. Toño has highlighted it, which he essentially considers "haute cuisine without the need for too much fuss". It is a dish that is always present on the Atrio menu: a constant homage to Justina. In the tasting menu, Toño pays tribute to the cumin tomato soup she taught him, reinterpreting it from the perspective of haute cuisine. In this contemporary version, the spoon is not necessary. The soup is presented in a "envuelta" - a thallus made with Iberian lard - that can be eaten in one bite. "I give this soup in a wrapper, in a thallus with lard from that little pig, which allows you to pick it up with your hand, with the seasonal fruit on top and with flowers," explains the chef.

Each season, Toño adapts the dish, making this soup a changing reflection of the environment and the season, but always maintaining the essence and homage to his mother. Thus, tomato soup at Atrio is not just a dish, but a bridge between past and present, tradition and avant-garde, home and haute cuisine.