Romesco Sauce
by: Chef Allysa Adamson
Introduction
Romesco sauce originated from the Catalonian region of Spain. It has incredible flavor and texture, consisting of tomatoes, nuts, peppers, garlic, and bread to thicken the sauce. Romesco is extremely versatile, going with just about anything from meats, fish, or vegetables, to sandwiches or stews. Use it to brighten up any simple dish that needs a little more flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 medium red bell peppers
- 1 1" thick slice of bread, cut into 1" cubes
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup almonds, roasted
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Place peppers, bread, tomatoes, and garlic on a sheet pan, keeping each item separate from the others, and set the Wolf Convection Oven to Broil Mode on the high level. Place the pan on rack position 5 or 6 of the Wolf Convection Oven. Broil, tossing occasionally, until ingredients are fragrant, bread is crusty and starting to brown, and tomatoes are tender and slightly wrinkled, about 10-15 minutes.
Each ingredient may finish roasting at different times. The bread will most likely finish first, then garlic, then tomatoes, and the peppers last. Keep checking and tossing the ingredients while they broil, removing each once the desired result is reached.
Keep broiler on high and continue turning peppers until the skin is completely blackened. Remove peppers from the Wolf Convection Oven, place in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit until skin has started to separate from flesh, about 15 minutes. Remove charred skin, seeds, and cores.
Place bread, tomatoes, garlic, almonds, peppers, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, salt, honey, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Purée until smooth. Taste and season with additional salt or vinegar as needed. Garnish with toasted almonds and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.