Romesco sauce with smoked paprika is a versatile condiment for meat, fish and roasted vegetables.
Author: Amanda Lawson
Ingredients
4Roma tomtaoes, washed and quartered lengthways(substitute with cherry tomatoes)
2red capsicums, washed
4clovesgarlic, skin on
1/2cupraw almonds, plus a few extra for garnish(substitute with hazelnuts or walnuts)
1/2cupflat-leaf parsley, plus a few extra leaves for garnish(substitute with curly parsley or rocket)
1/4cupextra virgin olive oill
3Tbspsherry vinegar(substitute with red wine vinegar)
1tspmild smoked paprika(or hot if you like it spicy)
flaked sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
Lay almonds out flat and roast until dark and aromatic, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Increase the oven temperature to 220°C (200°C fan-forced).
Line a baking dish and arrange tomatoes, cut side up. Sprinkle a little salt on the tomatoes. Arrange the tomatoes alongside the garlic and capsicums. This way, if one ingredient is ready before the other, it can be removed easily. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the tomatoes are wrinkled and a little blackened. The capsicum skin will be darker red and blistered. Remove from the oven.
When cool enough to handle, twist the tops of the capsicums gently away from the body. The seeds chould come out easily this way (with a bit of liquid). Remove any remaining seeds and roughly chop the capsicums.
Squeeze the garlic cloves gently so that the cloves slip out of their skins.
Mix all the ingredients briefly with a handheld blender, so as to have a mixture with a a few chunks in it.
Taste it. You might like to add a little more vinegar, salt, or smoked paprika.
Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The sauce is suitable to freeze.
Notes
Romesco sauce is delicious condiment for fish, poultry and meat. Use it as a sauce for roasted cauliflower or steamed green beans. Try it as a dipping sauce for home-baked sweet potato fries.