Romanesco is a tomato-based sauce that originated from Valls, Tarragona, Catalonia. The fishermen in this area made this sauce to be eaten with fish. It is typically made from any mixture of roasted peppers and tomatoes and garlic, toasted almonds, pine nuts, and/or hazelnuts, olive.
It goes with anything, but if you want to up your fish intake then hit up some great local suppliers and give romanesco sauce a go! I like to serve it as pictured, with pan fried hake and tapenade, finished with a sprinkling of parsley.
INGREDIENTS
- 100g almonds
- 200g roasted red peppers from a jar, drained (or BBQ/grill them)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar , plus extra to season (optional)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 50ml olive oil
METHOD
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.