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Salsa romesco
Salsa romesco: Tarragona's hazelnut, almond and ñora pepper sauce for fish and vegetables
Romesco belongs to the fishing quarter of El Serrallo in Tarragona, where fishermen made it to eat with the day's catch, and where an annual contest still decides who pounds the best one. It is close kin to the salvitxada served with calçots, but deeper and hotter: the ñoras are fried, a small dried chilli goes in, and hazelnuts share the work with almonds. Serve it with grilled fish, prawns, potatoes, or any roasted vegetable. Chef's tip: fry the bread and nuts in the same oil you will use in the sauce; it carries their toasted flavour into every spoonful.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 4 dried ñora peppersstalks and seeds removed
- 3 ripe tomatoeshalved
- 6 cloves garlicunpeeled
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 slice day-old breadabout 30 g
- 1 ⅜ oz hazelnutsskinned
- 1 ⅜ oz blanched almonds
- 1 small dried red chillior 0.5 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- ¾ tsp salt
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Soak 4 dried ñora peppers in hot water for 20 minutes, until soft.
20 minStep 2: Roast 3 ripe tomatoes and 6 cloves garlic at 400°F (350°F fan) for 25 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistered and soft and the garlic squeezes out of its skin.
25 minStep 3: Meanwhile heat 3 tablespoons of 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 1 slice day-old bread for 1–2 minutes a side until golden, then lift out. Fry 1 ⅜ oz hazelnuts and 1 ⅜ oz blanched almonds for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until evenly golden; then add 1 small dried red chilli for the last 20 seconds. Tip into a food processor or mortar with the oil.
6 minStep 4: Drain the ñoras, pat dry and fry them in a little of the oil for 30 seconds; scrape the softened flesh from the skins.
Step 5: Add the peeled tomatoes, squeezed garlic, ñora flesh and bread to the nuts with ¾ tsp salt. Blend or pound into a thick, slightly coarse paste.
3 minStep 6: With the motor running, pour in 2 tbsp sherry vinegar and the rest of ½ cup extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream until the sauce is thick, rust-red and holds its shape. The usual mistake is blending it perfectly smooth: a little texture from the nuts is what you want.
Step 7: Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. Rest for 1 hour for the flavours to settle. It keeps for 5 days in a jar in the fridge, covered with a film of oil.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does salsa romesco take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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