Hazelnut Romesco Food

HAZELNUT ROMESCO

Steps:

• To make paste, add boiling water to 2 dried ancho chili pods. Weight with a plate for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pods from water and purée, adding just enough of the water to make a paste. Pass paste through a mesh strainer and reserve.
• Cut the crusts off the bread and tear into 2 to 3 pieces. In a sauté pan over low heat, fry bread in ¼ cup olive oil until golden brown and crisp. Cool on paper towels.
• In a food processor, combine hazelnuts, garlic, bread, salt and spices. Mix until a dry paste forms. Add the ancho paste, red peppers and their juice, tomato paste, vinegar, hazelnut oil and another ¼ cup olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Adjust with oil for a thinner consistency if desired, and taste for salt and spice.
• Serve as a dip with rustic bread, or as an accompaniment to roast pork or lamb.

ROASTED ZUCCHINI AND CIPPOLINI ONION WITH HAZELNUT ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the Roasted Onions: Toss the onions in olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer onions to a medium-roasting pan and roast until lightly golden brown and just cooked through about 25 to 30 minutes.
• For the Roasted zucchini: Toss the zucchini with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place in a medium-roasting pan and roast until lightly golden brown and just cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Place both the zucchini and onions on a large serving platter and drizzle with some of the romeso sauce and chopped parsley. Serve with Spanish Antipasto.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat until smoking. Separately saute the garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes, chilies and bread cubes until lightly browned, about 2 minutes each. Remove each ingredient with a slotted spoon as it's done. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and red wine.
• Place all the Sauteed ingredients and the deglazing liquid into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the hazelnuts and process until finely chopped. Add the honey and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Arrange all ingredients on a platter and drizzle with olive oil. Serve sliced crusty bread on side.

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH HAZELNUT ROMESCO AND FRESH OREGANO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat grill. Rub pork with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and grill until golden brown, turn over and continue grilling to desired doneness. Let rest and cut on the bias. Serve with a dollop of Hazelnut Romesco and drizzle with Fresh Oregano Vinaigrette.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat until smoking. Separately saute the garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes, chiles, and bread cubes until lightly browned, about 2 minutes each. Remove each ingredient with a slotted spoon as it is done. Deglaze the pan with the wine.
• Place all the sauteed ingredients and the deglazing liquid into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the hazelnuts and process until finely chopped. Add the honey and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, honey, and oregano in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified.

BROCCOLI SALAD WITH HAZELNUT ROMESCO

Steps:

• Heat the broiler. Arrange an oven rack in the position closest to flame. Place peppers (cut side down), tomato halves (cut-side up) and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until peppers and garlic are slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn garlic (but do not turn peppers or tomato); broil 1 to 2 minutes longer until garlic is well browned but not burned. Transfer garlic to a large bowl. Continue broiling peppers and tomatoes until both are well charred, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer tomato and peppers to the bowl with the garlic. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand until vegetables are cool enough to handle but still warm, then peel peppers and tomatoes.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse hazelnuts until coarsely ground. Add peppers, tomato, garlic, breadcrumbs, oil, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, paprika and salt. Purée until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Scrape romesco into a bowl.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Boil broccoli until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to ice water; drain.
• In a large bowl, toss broccoli with enough romesco to coat vegetables well. (Reserve any remaining romesco for dipping or for another use.) Garnish with hazelnuts and serve warm or at room temperature.

SAUTéED SHRIMP AND HAZELNUT ROMESCO

Steps:

• 1. Snap the stems from the Nyora peppers. Shake out and discard the seeds. Put the Nyoras in a heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Set a small plate on top to keep the peppers submerged and let sit until softened, about 20 minutes. Discard the soaking liquid. Set the peppers aside.
• 2. Roast the red bell peppers: On the stovetop, hold the peppers with tongs over an open burner, turning them until they're blackened uniformly, about 3 to 5 minutes. (Alternatively, put the peppers on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 450°F until the skins become brown and loosen, about 30 minutes.) Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap for 15 minutes, allowing them to steam and cool slightly. Peel the skins from the peppers, remove the seeds, and set the peppers aside.
• 3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, then add the hazelnuts and cook, shaking the pan a few times, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Drain the hazelnuts and let cool slightly. Remove as much paper coating on the nuts as possible. Discard the oil.
• 4. Make the romesco sauce: Combine the Nyoras, roasted red bell peppers, hazelnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, tomatoes, sherry vinegar, and 1/2 cup olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Season generously with salt and pepper and pulse until completely puréed. Transfer to a small plastic container, cover, and refrigerate until needed. The romesco can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
• 5. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a large straight-sided skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the shrimp turn pink and become firm, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• 6. Warm the cold romesco sauce. Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter and serve the romesco sauce on the side. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve immediately

HALIBUT IN HAZELNUT ROMESCO WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Place tomato on rimmed baking sheet and broil until skin is blistered and slipping off, turning once with tongs, about 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel skin off tomato, then cut in half and squeeze out seeds.
• Chop nuts in processor; add tomato, piquillo peppers, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, paprika, vinegar, salt, and cayenne, then puree. Transfer romesco sauce to bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
• Melt butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add halibut and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side (fish will not be cooked through). Transfer halibut to plate.
• Add broth to same skillet and bring to boil; stir in romesco sauce. Add halibut; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until halibut is opaque in center, about 2 minutes. Transfer halibut to plates. Place steamed potatoes alongside. Spoon romesco sauce over; sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve.
• Sometimes labeled Pimentón Dulce or Pimentón de La Vera Dulce; available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and from tienda.com.