Smoky Romesco Sauce Food

QUICK ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Process almonds, garlic and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs in a food processor until nuts are nearly ground, 10 to 15 seconds. Add red peppers, tomato, oil, vinegar, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pulse, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary, until mixture has texture similar to mayonnaise, 20 to 30 seconds more. Add additional 1/4 cup breadcrumbs as needed to achieve desired consistency. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with roasted vegetables.

SMOKY ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare a medium-hot fire (400°F) in a wood-fired oven, cooker, or grill.
• Place the tomatoes and onion, cut side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a large knife, cut the top 3/4 inch off the head of garlic and place the head on the baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in an oven or cooker, or cook over direct heat on a grill until the skins of the tomatoes are wrinkled and charred and the onions are slightly soft, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the skins from the tomatoes and onion and coarsely chop the flesh. Place in a food processor along with any juice from the roasting. Squeeze the roasted garlic from 5 large cloves into the mixture. Add the piquillo peppers and pulse to chop. Add the nuts and torn bread. With the machine running, drizzle in one-third of the olive oil. Add the ancho, pimentón, red pepper flakes, and half of the sherry vinegar. Increase the speed to incorporate the ingredients and chop the nuts. Add salt to taste. Add more olive oil and continue to process until the desired texture is reached. Add water if too thick. Adjust the taste by adding more sherry vinegar and olive oil if needed.

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.