Harissa romesco sauce
Romesco sauce is a roasted red pepper sauce that originates from the Catalan region in Spain. Make your own this barbecue season, and add a little harissa to make sure it packs a punch.
For this recipe you will need a barbecue and a blender.
Ingredients
- 2 red peppers
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú flaked almonds
- 80ml/2½fl oz extra virgin olive oil
- 200g/7oz piquillo peppers from a jar, or fresh piquillo peppers (deseeded)
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 red chilli, chopped (use less if you wish)
- 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
- pinch chilli flakes
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú sun-dried tomatoes
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú rose harissa paste
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
- sea salt
Method
Prepare your barbecue: allow the flames to flare up and die down until the coals are just glowing.
Place the red peppers directly onto the barbecue coals to char and cook through for approximately 10–15 minutes. Once cooked, remove the skin as well as the stalks and seeds. Roughly chop and set aside.
Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, tossing them in the pan so they cook evenly and don’t burn. Once toasted, set aside.
If you’re using fresh piquillo peppers, they need to be cooked before blitzing. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the fresh peppers. Cook for 5–6 minutes until the peppers start to colour and break down (avoid burning them, as this will make the sauce bitter). Once browned, add the sliced garlic, red chilli and smoked paprika and cook for a further minute, then remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly before blending, along with the remaining oil and other ingredients. If using jarred peppers, place them straight into the food processor.
Blend the pepper along with the rest of the ingredients for 2 minutes, or until you have a smooth sauce. Season with salt to taste.
Recipe Tips
You can use ready-toasted almonds, but still heat them through before you add them to the sauce, as it releases the oils and the flavour.
The almonds can be swapped for pine nuts.
This sauce is best served at room temperature, though it can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.