Romesco sauce is such a delight in the summer and you must try it if you have never made it. Jars of roasted red peppers are such an amazing ingredient that can add life to pasta sauces or salads but here they are combined with toasted almonds, smoked paprika and garlic to make a really tasty, punchy, smoky sauce that goes really well with fish or vegetables. Stick a bowl of this on the table at your next bbq and watch everyone tuck in. I have taken the classic recipe (the one from BBC Good Food works perfectly) but added a few spoonfuls of ‘Nduja paste, the spicy meat paste from southern Italy. Spicy pork and fish is a match made in heaven – think cod and chorizo, scallops and bacon – so this is a no-brainer of a fish dish that you will have zero regrets trying out.
I served this with some really garlicky broccoli and some simply cooked boiled spuds but it would work equally well with a salad, some rice or just grilled vegetables if you want to take the lower carb route, I know I really should take it more often but carbs are just too good!
Enjoy!
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...Ingredients
- 125g plain blanched almonds
- 300g roasted red peppers
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 75ml olive oil
- 2 fillets sea-bass or other white fish
- Approx 350g new potatoes
- 1 whole head of broccoli + 3 or 4 cloves garlic
Instructions
First, make the romesco sauce. Toast the almonds in a dry pan for a few minutes, moving often until they take a bit of colour. Set aside to cool.
Add the drained peppers, almonds, 1 garlic clove, smoked paprika and vinegar to a food processor along with a good pinch of salt and pepper and blend well. Drizzle in the olive oil while blending until you have a thick, dip-like consistency.
To cook the potatoes, simply boil until nearly cooked and then allow them to steam in a colander above the saucepan for the final few minutes, this should mean they don't overcook. Sprinkle with salt and a light dressing of extra virgin olive oil.
Cut off the florets from the broccoli and blanch in hot water for 2-3 minutes. Then, fry them off in plenty of olive oil for a further 5 minutes, adding plenty of sliced garlic for the last minute or so. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve together with a good sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Notes
Use more or less 'nduja, depending on how spicy you like it I would use sweet smoked paprika, rather than hot, as the heat comes from the 'nduja, but its up to you if you want more heat! Any white fish will do instead of sea bass; cod, haddock or hake would work very well. Make sure you use blanched almonds, they should be unsalted and without skin. A waxy, salad potato such as Charlotte works best for this recipe.
