Romesco Sauce
When I think of Spain, I see the ocean and beautiful beaches, flowers everywhere, sun and lots of it, its gorgeous architecture and sightseeing, history, culture, and of course its food. There are so many mouthwatering Spanish dishes like Gazpacho, Sopa Ajoblanco, Patatas Bravas, Croquetas, Albondigas, Pisto Manchego, Bacalao a la Vizcaína, Paella, Sangria, etc.
There’s an incredible recipe from the region of Catalonia and it’s called Romesco Sauce! What a lovely recipe! With roasted peppers, tomatoes and roasted garlic, this condiment brings your protein to a whole new level of deliciousness!
This is the perfect pairing for fish. In the video, I use red snapper but tilapia, sole and halibut are also great choices. Most of the time here in North America we enjoy escargots with garlic butter but I like serving it with this sauce too. Mussels, prawns or clams can be another succulent alternative. Other proteins like chicken or pork can also be beautifully paired with this Romesco Sauce. Spooning it over pasta or roasted vegetables are other options as well. Another way to use this delightful sauce is as a dip with crudités.
According to Wikipedia (link), true Romesco Sauce is made with rehydrated ñora peppers (nyora), native to the Valencia region of Spain, which are often referred to as the paprika pepper. It’s a small round, sun-dried chili with a dark red wrinkled flesh and has a mild flavor similar to a bell pepper. It is used as a spice (red pepper flakes) or as an ingredient like in this recipe.
The most important step for this recipe is roasting. Ingredients like red peppers (if you can’t find the ñora peppers), tomatoes and a whole head of garlic are roasted in the oven. This gives a nice smokiness to the sauce. Almonds are another important component for this dish and it’s important to blanch them prior to making this recipe. Click here to know how it’s done… Blanched Almonds ~ How to
Mediterranean cuisine uses a lot of oil and when it comes to toasting the bread, I do it in the skillet. Can you use a toaster instead? Sure but you’ll be missing out on a layer of yumminess by skipping this simple step.
As unusual as it sounds, this sauce is served at room temperature. It can be warmed up a little but definitely don’t cook it because you’ll lose its brightness. This makes a great condiment to serve on hot summer days.
Romesco Sauce is so lovely and smoky. This easy and versatile condiment is perfect for pairing with many proteins and a flavorful recipe to add to your folder. This is certainly a sauce you’ll want to try this summer…
Bon Appétit!
Check out these amazing sauce recipes…
– Ethiopian Red Pepper Sauce
– Cheddar Cheese Sauce
– BBQ Sauce for Chicken
– Demi-Glace & Espagnole Sauce
– Indonesian Peanut Sauce
– Caribbean BBQ Sauce
and for even more sauce recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Sauces & Marinades
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Romesco Sauce
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Ingredients
SAUCE
- 3 large red peppers, seeded, ribs removed and halved (1 tbsp. reserved for garnish)
- 3 large Roma tomatoes, washed
- 1 large head of garlic, roasted tips & tricks
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 slice French bread
- 1/2 cup blanched almonds tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. shallots, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. hot paprika
- 1/2 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 2 tbsp. sherry vinegar such as Vinagre de Jerez
- 1/4 cup olive oil, or more if needed
FISH
- 2 large red snapper fillets (substitute halibut, sole, etc.)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil, or as needed
- ground Himalayan sea salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp. toasted slivered almonds
- 1/2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Directions
SAUCE
- Place peppers and tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil lightly greased. For the garlic, cut off the top of the head to expose the cloves and drizzle a little oil on top. Wrap it in foil leaving a small opening for the steam to escape and place it on the baking sheet with the veggies (the garlic might take about 40 minutes to roast).
- Transfer to the oven under the broiler and roast for 20 minutes. Halfway through cooking, flip the tomatoes and rotate the pan; continue broiling for the remaining time.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, add oil and when it gets hot, place a slice of bread; toast on both sides. Transfer to a cutting board to cool off.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the peppers to a bowl; cover with foil. If the tomatoes are not done, return them for another 10 minutes under the broiler. When they’re done, transfer them to a bowl to cool off.
- Remove the skin from the peppers and tomatoes and roughly chop them. Tear the bread into small pieces.
- In the jar of a blender, add the tomatoes with any accumulated juices, peppers and roasted garlic. Place the lid on and process on medium speed until well blended, about 30 seconds.
- Add blanched almonds, toasted bread pieces, chopped shallots, smoked paprika, hot paprika, sea salt and black pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth. While the machine is running, take the plug out and slowly drizzle in the vinegar followed by ¼ cup of oil, emulsifying the mixture. Transfer the sauce to a bowl or a saucepan to warm up – but do NOT cook it.
FISH
- Preheat oven to 400ºF
- Rub the fillets with oil and season with salt. Place them on a baking sheet lined with foil lightly greased and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the flesh flakes easily with a fork.
- To serve, spoon some sauce onto a plate and place the baked fillets on top. Spoon more sauce over and garnish with the reserved 1 tbsp. roasted peppers, toasted almonds and fresh chopped parsley. Makes 3 cups
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