Romesco Sauce
It’s been awhile since my last post, but it’s because I’ve begun guest cooking at Chambre Noire, a natural wine and tapas bar, hidden in the 11th arrondisement of Paris. As you can imagine, I’ve been recipe tasting around the clock and I’m always looking for sauces and dips to accompany roasted vegetables or as a spread on sandwiches or veggie burgers. I’d like to share with you some of my coup de cœurs, one of which is Romesco Sauce, a nut and red pepper-based sauce that originated from Tarragona, Catalonia, in Northeastern Spain. Over the years, I have been trying to find the perfect combination of spice. Originally a Spanish sauce, there is of course smoked paprika and sherry wine (you can also use red wine vinegar in a pinch), but that magical combination of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic, you can never go wrong.
There are a few ways to do it. You can either roast the vegetables whole or cut them into slices. They each yield a bit of a different consistency, but both are good. It’s also important to find the best quality organic produce possible since you will be using the skin. These days, it seems like it’s harder and harder to find vegetables with taste. I was speaking with an artist friend who was visiting from Athens, Greece last week and we reminisced about the taste of peppers and tomatoes in Greece- picked directly from the vine. I yearn for the day when I have my own garden and can plant my own vegetables, but for the time-being, I buy organic and from local artisans and farmers. Check out La Ruche qui dit Oui if you’re interested in learning more!
I recently used the Romesco in a potato salad, and as a spread for my Portabello Mushroom Burgers, both of which I will feature soon and both were a big hit! After eating at our place, a friend went home and made the dish for his family!! I love the reciprocal effect of inspiration through food!!
INGREDIENTS
1 large or 2 medium red bell pepper(s)
2 roma tomatoes
4-5 cloves of garlic, smashed with the back of a wooden spoon
1 yellow onion, large chunks
1-2 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
sea salt
pepper
2 Tbsp flat parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp hazelnuts, roasted + extra for topping
1 handful almonds, roasted
1 Tsp red wine vinegar or sherry
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
a dash or 2 of cayenne pepper
METHOD
Turn of oven to 350 degrees F, or 200 degrees C.
Add hazelnuts (and/or almonds) to the baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes or until the skin easily falls off.
Line a separate baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toast vegetables whole and chop onions into quarters and coat with olive oil and salt. After about 20 minutes, flip the peppers so that both sides are roasted.
Once cooled, remove the stem and seeds of peppers and add everything to a blender.
Season with salt, pepper, sherry or red wine vinegar, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and finely chopped parsley.
Serve as a side sauce with roasted vegetables, grilled artichokes, or as a spread on sandwiches or veggie burgers.
- 1 large or 2 medium red bell pepper(s)
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, smashed with the back of a wooden spoon
- 1 yellow onion, large chunks
- 1-2 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
- sea salt
- pepper
- 2 Tbsp flat parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp hazelnuts, roasted + extra for topping
- 1 handful almonds, roasted
- 1 Tsp red wine vinegar or sherry
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- a dash or 2 of cayenne pepper
- Turn of oven to 350 degrees F, or 200 degrees C.
- Add hazelnuts (and/or almonds) to the baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes or until the skin easily falls off.
- Line a separate baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toast vegetables whole and chop onions into quarters and coat with olive oil and salt. After about 20 minutes, flip the peppers so that both sides are roasted.
- Once cooled, remove the stem and seeds of peppers and add everything to a blender.
- Season with salt, pepper, sherry or red wine vinegar, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and finely chopped parsley.
- Serve as a side sauce with roasted vegetables, grilled artichokes, or as a spread on sandwiches or veggie burgers.