Calçots con Salsa Romesco
Catalonia's winter fiesta jewel: sweet calçot spring onions charred over hot coals until blackened outside and tender-sweet within, peeled and dipped into authentic rich Romesco sauce.
Ingredients
- • 16-20 fresh calçots (or sweet thick spring onions / baby leeks)
- • Romesco sauce: 2 roasted ripe tomatoes, 1 whole head roasted garlic, 1 rehydrated ñora pepper pulp, 40g roasted almonds, 30g roasted hazelnuts, 1 slice fried bread, 100ml olive oil, 2 tbsp sherry vinegar, salt
Preparation Steps
Blend roasted tomatoes, squeezed cloves of roasted garlic, ñora pepper flesh, toasted nuts, fried bread, vinegar, salt, and olive oil in a food processor until a thick, nutty, coarse sauce forms. Set aside.
Trim root hairs lightly and outer dirty leaves. Place calçots on a smoking hot grill, plancha, or barbecue over high flame. Char vigorously for 10-12 minutes, turning until outer layer is completely blackened and charred.
Wrap hot calçots in clean butcher paper or newspaper for 10 minutes to steam and finish tenderizing inside.
Slide off charred black outer skin with your fingers to reveal the steaming, sweet tender heart inside. Dip generously into the nutty Romesco sauce and eat.