A combination of bell peppers and almonds and originating in Catalonia, Spain, Romesco is an old-world classic: rich, full, spicy, edgy, and absolutely delicious. I've called it "the other red sauce" to distinguish from Italy's tomato sauces. It's most commonly served on fish, and requires a robust seafood such as salmon, tuna, or shrimp to stand against it's luscious flavors. My version incorporates roasted tomatoes, leaves out the hazelnuts, and relies on Spanish paprika for spice.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 roasted red bell pepper; cored and seeded
- 2 - 3 roasted Tomatoes (both halves)
- 1/4 cup blanched almonds
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 3 garlic cloves; chopped
- 1/2 lime; juice & zest
- 1 dried New Mexico pepper; seeded and rehydrated
- 1/2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika (Hot Paprika us best)
- 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
1. Place nuts in a food processor and process until well ground.
2. Add remaining ingredients process until smooth. Adjust consistency of sauce by adding olive oil if too thick.
Note 1: Sauce should be made a few hours in advance to allow flavors to mature. Blanched filberts (hazelnuts) may be substituted for almonds or a combination may be used.
Note 2: The sauce freezes beautifully. I've kept it in the freezer up to four months defrosting and refreezing it three times.
