Romesco
Romesco is a Catalan sauce of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, garlic, almonds or hazelnuts and olive oil. It is smoky and nutty and great with grilled food.
Also called Romesco sauce, Salsa romesco.
Romesco is a thick, rust-red sauce from Tarragona in Catalonia, Spain. It is made from roasted or dried red peppers, tomatoes and garlic, ground with toasted almonds or hazelnuts, bread, olive oil and vinegar. It tastes smoky, nutty and a little sweet. It is served with grilled vegetables, fish and meat.
How to do it
For about 375 ml (1 1/2 cups):
- Roast 2 red bell peppers, 2 tomatoes and 4 unpeeled garlic cloves at 220°C (425°F) for 25 to 35 minutes, until soft and charred in spots. Or use 2 jarred roasted peppers.
- Peel the peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Discard the pepper seeds.
- Toast 60 g (1/2 cup) of blanched almonds or skinned hazelnuts and a slice of bread in a little olive oil until golden.
- Blend everything in a food processor with 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and a pinch of salt.
- With the machine running, pour in 80 ml (1/3 cup) of olive oil.
- Taste and adjust the salt, vinegar and heat.
How to use it
In Catalonia it is served with calçots, grilled green onions, and with grilled fish and seafood. It also goes with roast chicken, lamb, potatoes, eggs and grilled bread. Thin it with olive oil to drizzle, or keep it thick as a dip.
Substitutes
- Traditional versions use dried sweet peppers such as ñora, soaked in hot water, with their flesh scraped out.
- Use red wine vinegar if you have no sherry vinegar.
- For a nut-free version, use toasted sunflower seeds.
How to store it
Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. It thickens when cold, so stir in a little oil or water before serving.
Common mistakes
- Blending it completely smooth. It should keep a slightly coarse texture.
- Skipping the toasting, which leaves the nuts flat and pale-tasting.
- Using too much vinegar, which hides the roasted pepper flavor.
Romesco recipes
3 recipes from the sites we collect.
Related terms
- RoastRoasting cooks meat or vegetables uncovered in a hot oven, so dry heat browns the outside and concentrates flavor while the inside cooks through.
- CharCharring cooks food over intense heat until parts of the surface turn black and blistered, adding smoky flavor to peppers, corn, onions and meat.
- Food processorA food processor is an electric machine with a spinning blade and discs that chops, purees, slices and mixes dough in seconds. Here is how to use one well.
- Smoked paprikaSmoked paprika is ground red pepper dried over oak fires, like Spanish pimentón de la Vera. It gives a smoky flavor to chorizo, paella and stews.
- Sherry vinegarSherry vinegar is a nutty, aged Spanish vinegar made from sherry. It brightens gazpacho, romesco, dressings and pan sauces with a rounded tang.
- AioliAioli is a thick garlic sauce from the Mediterranean, made by emulsifying garlic and olive oil, often with egg yolk. Here is how to make and use it.