Calçots con romesco

Ingredients

Tap an ingredient to tick it off.

For the calçots

• 24 calçots (about 6 per person)

For the romesco sauce

• 3 ripe tomatoes
• ½ head of garlic and 1 garlic clove
• 1 ñora (dried pepper), soaked in water
• 50 g toasted almonds
• 25 g toasted hazelnuts
• 1 thick slice of fried or toasted bread
• 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 25 ml vinegar
• Salt

Preparation

1. 01Soak the ñoraSoak the ñora in water for at least 3 hours or overnight. Then remove the stem and seeds.
2. 02Roast tomatoes and garlicWith the oven at 180 °C, roast the tomatoes and the half head of garlic for 30–40 minutes until soft and toasted. Let cool and peel the tomatoes and garlic.
3. 03Blend the romescoFirst blend the bread, almonds, hazelnuts, the raw garlic clove and salt; add the ñora, the roasted tomatoes and garlic and the vinegar. With the blender running, add the oil in a thin stream until you have a thick, emulsified sauce. Adjust salt and vinegar.
4. 04Prepare the calçotsLeave them unpeeled with the roots on if you will cook them over embers, or clean them (cut off the roots and remove the outer layer) if you are using the oven.
5. 05Roast the calçotsOn the grill, over a strong fire, until the outer layer is black all over. In the oven, at 205 °C, lay them in a row on a tray for about 15 minutes.
6. 06Wrap and restWrap them in newspaper and let them rest for 8 to 10 minutes, so they finish cooking in their own steam and become tender.
7. 07Peel and dipEach diner pulls off the burnt part, peels the calçot by hand and dips it in the romesco sauce, holding it by the end and eating it from the top.

Variations

• Romesco with other nuts, such as hazelnuts and almonds in different proportions, or with paprika; there is no single recipe.
• At home, calçots "in the oven" instead of over embers, at 205 °C for about 15 minutes.
• Salvitxada, a sauce similar to romesco that also accompanies calçots.