Romesco Sauce With Marcona Almonds Food

ROMESCO SAUCE WITH MARCONA ALMONDS

Steps:

• Cut the chiles in half, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water, weighing them down with a plate to keep them submerged. Set aside for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds, hazelnuts and bread cubes and stir until they start to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, and stir until lightly browned. Add the piquillo peppers. Remove from heat.
• Drain the chiles, and remove stems and seeds. Chop the chiles, add them to the pan, heat and stir briefly. Add the tomato, stir and cook a minute or so until softened. Remove from heat.
• Transfer to a food processor or a blender and pulse until a rough paste is formed. With the machine running, slowly pour in the wine. Turn off the machine, add vinegar, paprika and salt, to taste, then pulse briefly to blend. The sauce will have a slightly nubbly texture.

ROMESCO SEAFOOD STEW

Steps:

• For the romesco sauce: Toast the chile peppers in a small pot over medium heat, pressing them flat with a metal spatula and turning occasionally. Add enough water or stock to cover and simmer until the chiles are tender. Transfer the chiles to a food processor with a splash of the cooking liquid. Add the almonds, hazelnuts, paprika, piquillos, bread, garlic, tomato, vinegar and some salt and pepper. Turn the processor on and add the EVOO in a slow, steady stream until a thick, almost smooth sauce forms. For the stew: Heat the EVOO in a pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly browned, then add the celery, bay leaf, onions and parsley bundle and cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze with the wine, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Stir in the stock and romesco sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just tender. For the seafood: Add the mussels and shrimp to the stew and cook, covered, until the mussels open and the shrimp are firm and opaque. Discard any unopened shells. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Wrap the ham around the fish fillets, then add to the skillet and cook until crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the fish rest in the skillet. Meanwhile, char the bread in the oven. Divide the stew among shallow bowls. Place a piece of fish in the center and top with a spoonful of Gremolata. Rub the charred bread with the cut sides of the garlic clove and drizzle with EVOO; serve on the side. Cook's Notes: You can make extra romesco sauce and freeze it. Use it as a base for soup or for topping any grilled or roasted meat or seafood. The stew, without the seafood, can be covered and refrigerated for a make-ahead meal. Reheat over medium heat.
• Pile the parsley, thyme, anchovy, garlic and lemon zest on a cutting board and roughly chop together until well combined.

COCOA BLACKENED STEAK WITH MARCONA ALMOND ROMESCO

Steps:

• For the leeks: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack.
• Put the whole leeks on an unlined sheet tray and bake, flipping halfway through, until completely charred, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool to the touch.
• For the cocoa blackened steak: Combine the smoked paprika, cocoa powder, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked salt, sugar and coffee in a bowl. Divide the mixture between the each of the rib eyes and let sit for 15 minutes.
• For the leeks: Once the leeks are cool to the touch, remove the outer layers, revealing the soft leeks inside. Finely chop the leeks and add to a bowl. Add the cocoa nibs, olive oil and red wine vinegar and season with the smoked sea salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• For the Marcona almond romesco: Blend the peppers, olive oil, white chocolate, tomatoes, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, salt and garlic in a blender until smooth. Add the almonds to a food processor and pour over the blended sauce. Pulse until coarse, not smooth.
• Heat a 14-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil and the steaks and cook on both sides until evenly charred, about 7 minutes per side, searing in batches if needed. Remove from the skillet and put on the rack on the sheet tray. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
• Serve the steak alongside the romesco and the leek condiment.

ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan for 3-4 mins until starting to turn golden and smelling toasted. Shake the pan often to turn them. Tip out and leave to cool.
• Drain the red peppers and tip into a food processor with the almonds, garlic, vinegar and smoked paprika, then blitz to a chunky paste.
• With the motor still on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to make a dip. A bit of texture works well for this rather than blending to a super smooth consistency. Season well, adding a little more vinegar, if you like.

ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler and cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the tomatoes on the baking sheet, and place under the broiler at the highest setting. Broil for two to four minutes, until charred on one side. Turn over and broil on the other side for two to four minutes until charred. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Peel and core.
• Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic cloves. When the garlic is chopped and adheres to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides. Add the toasted almonds (or almonds and hazelnuts), bread and chile powder or flakes to the bowl and process to a paste.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the pepper, tomatoes, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper. Process until smooth, and with the machine running, add the vinegar and olive oil in a slow stream, beginning with the smaller amount of olive oil and thinning out as desired. Process until well amalgamated, then scrape into a bowl.
• Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt or chile as desired. If possible, allow the sauce to stand for an hour at room temperature before using. Serve with fish and/or grilled vegetables, or on crostini.