Adapted from José Andrés’ Tapas Deck: 50 Little Dishes That Capture the Essence of Spanish Cooking, this is a Catalan roasted-vegetable sauce.
Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for coating the vegetables
• 6 ripe plum tomatoes
• 1 head garlic, halved, paper outer skin removed
• 1 Spanish onion
• 3 fresh ñora peppers, poblano peppers, dry ancho peppers, or any other dried sweet chili pepper
• 1/4 cup blanched almonds (Marcona are the best)
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pimentón ahumado (Spanish paprika)
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350°. Brush a thin film of olive oil over the pepper, tomatoes, garlic and onion. Place them in a medium roasting pan, and roast until all the vegetables are soft around 25-30 minutes.
If you are using dry ancho peppers, place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 15 minutes. Strain, and remove the seeds. Place the chilies in a blender and puree until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the almonds and sauté to brown them a little, about 1 minute. Remove the almonds and set them aside.
When the roasted vegetables are cool enough to handle, peel them. Seed the peppers and tomatoes, and cut off their tops. Place the roasted vegetables in a blender or food processor and add the almonds, chilies, vinegar, pimentón and the remaining oil.
Blend until it forms a thick sauce, and add the salt. Place the Romesco sauce in a bowl.
Enjoy!
Romesco sauce
Spanish tortilla with Romesco sauce
Serves: Depending on the size of the vegetables, it could yield 3-4 cups.
Note: This sauce goes well with Spanish Tortilla, please don't be confused with Mexican tortilla.
See picture:
José’s tips: “Traditionally we use only the dried ñora peppers that are so typical of Catalonian cooking.”