SMOKED TOMATO AND MARCONA ALMOND ROMESCO

Romesco is a classic nut-based Spanish sauce that is most often served with fish, although we find that it is also excellent for poultry, especially for braised chicken thighs that have first been browned until the skin is crispy. While romesco sauces are usually made with pine or hazelnuts, we love the creaminess of marcona almonds—a Spanish almond that is less woody in flavor than more traditional varieties.

Other hallmarks of romesco sauces are roasted tomatoes, red bell peppers and vinegars. Piment d’espelette is a mild, tasty chili pepper
largely cultivated in France but which is integral to the Basque cuisine of Northern Spain. We find that it adds a mild spice that enlivens the sauce. You can certainly omit it or substitute another mild pepper if you cannot find piment d’espelette

MAKES: 2 cups (480 ml)

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 red bell peppers
• ½ cup plus 2 tbsp (150 ml) extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 cups (25–30 [300 g]) cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• ½ cup (72 g) smoked marcona almonds
• ¼ cup (15 g) chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed slightly
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp (2 g) smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp piment d’espelette
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to broil.
2. Brush the bell peppers with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil and place them on a tin foiled-lined rimmed sheet pan or in a baking dish.
3. Broil the peppers in the preheated oven until they are blackened and blistered on one side, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, turn over the peppers and broil the other side until blackened and blistered.
4. Remove the peppers from the oven and allow them to cool enough to handle. Peel the skin from the peppers and remove the stems and seeds. Set aside.
5. Reduce the oven heat to 400°F (204°C) and lightly brush a rimmed sheet pan with a tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil.
6. Place the halved cherry tomatoes flat side down and roast them in the oven until they are blistered and beginning to lightly brown, about 20 minutes.
7. In a food processor, combine the almonds, bell peppers, tomatoes, parsley, garlic and ½ cup (120 ml) of olive oil.
8. Process to make a coarse dip.
9. Add sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, piment d’espelette, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
10. Pulse again until the dip is well combined.
11. Serve the roasted bell pepper and tomato dip with your favorite chips or crackers.