Catalonia’s most well-known dish might be paella, but a close second in favor is most certainly Romesco sauce. In the region of Catalan, the word romesco holds three meanings: a seafood stew, a variety of dried pepper, and the sauce. There are myriad variations on the recipe for Romesco, some of which are believed to date back to the time of the Phoenicians. In 1986 Patience Gray attested: “ The variations of this sauce are legion, secrecy surrounds the method and there is no common agreement among fishermen or cooks about its creation.”
The most common versions popular today will generally include some form of the following: ground almonds or hazelnuts, fried bread, sweet red peppers (dried or fresh), tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil and garlic. All are ground or processed together to create a thick, brick-red sauce that is at home with fish, meat, poultry and vegetables alike.
GreenLeaf stocks everything you need to make a rich, vibrant romesco sauce, just in time for spring. Choose from almonds or hazelnuts, or try a mixture of both. Fry up cubes of La Brea Bakery Pain Rustique in Extra Virgin Olive Oil from California Olive Ranch. Make your sauce base from a mixture of mild, dried Ancho or Amarillo chilies, and Divina Roasted Red Peppers. Add a dash of Sparrow Lane Red Wine Vinegar, and let’s not forget GreenLeaf’s assortment of fresh produce for tomatoes, red bells, garlic and fresh herbs. Serve your creation with grilled prawns and roasted asparagus, use it as a marinade for pork and fish, or serve it atop steamed and chilled mussels as a tapa