Romesco Sauce
Catalonia's romesco: roasted red peppers, tomato, almonds and hazelnuts pounded with garlic.
Overview
A vibrant, deeply flavoured roasted red pepper salsa with shallots, fresh thyme, basil, lemon, and olive oil. Roasting the peppers until blackened intensifies their sweetness and adds a subtle smokiness. Versatile enough to serve with pasta, spread in a bouchée canapé, or as an accompaniment to grilled meats and fish.
Ingredients
- 4 red peppers
- 2 shallots (finely chopped)
- 2 sprigs thyme (leaves only, chopped)
- 12 basil leaves (snipped)
- 125 ml olive oil
- 2 lemons (juice only)
- salt
- pepper
Method
- Lightly oil the peppers, and either grill or roast them in the oven until the skin is blackened.
- Place in a plastic food bag, and leave to sweat.
- Once cooled, peel off the skin, and remove the core, seeds and white membrane.
- Dice the peppers as finely as possible and place in a bowl.
- The texture should be between tiny dice and a coulis.
- Add the shallots, thyme and basil to the peppers and season with salt and pepper, stir in the olive oil and lemon juice.
- Taste and add seasoning if necessary.
Notes
- Roasting until blackened is essential; this removes the bitter raw pepper skin and develops the characteristic sweetness
- Sweating the peppers in a sealed bag makes peeling easy; the steam loosens the skin from the flesh
- Removing all seeds, membrane, and white pith ensures a clean, sweet flavour without bitterness
- The salsa can be made up to a day in advance; the flavours meld and improve on resting
Serving
Serve with: Pasta, in bouchée canapés, alongside grilled meats or fish, with crusty bread Temperature: Room temperature or lightly warmed Amount: 2-3 tablespoons per portion as a condiment
Storage
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days
- The olive oil may solidify when cold; return to room temperature before serving
- Do not freeze; the texture of the diced pepper becomes watery when thawed
This salsa works well with pasta or in bouchée as a canapé
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