Hazelnut Romesco Recipes

HAZELNUT ROMESCO

Steps:

• To make paste, add boiling water to 2 dried ancho chili pods. Weight with a plate for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pods from water and purée, adding just enough of the water to make a paste. Pass paste through a mesh strainer and reserve.
• Cut the crusts off the bread and tear into 2 to 3 pieces. In a sauté pan over low heat, fry bread in ¼ cup olive oil until golden brown and crisp. Cool on paper towels.
• In a food processor, combine hazelnuts, garlic, bread, salt and spices. Mix until a dry paste forms. Add the ancho paste, red peppers and their juice, tomato paste, vinegar, hazelnut oil and another ¼ cup olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Adjust with oil for a thinner consistency if desired, and taste for salt and spice.
• Serve as a dip with rustic bread, or as an accompaniment to roast pork or lamb.

SAUTéED SHRIMP AND HAZELNUT ROMESCO

Steps:

• 1. Snap the stems from the Nyora peppers. Shake out and discard the seeds. Put the Nyoras in a heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Set a small plate on top to keep the peppers submerged and let sit until softened, about 20 minutes. Discard the soaking liquid. Set the peppers aside.
• 2. Roast the red bell peppers: On the stovetop, hold the peppers with tongs over an open burner, turning them until they're blackened uniformly, about 3 to 5 minutes. (Alternatively, put the peppers on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 450°F until the skins become brown and loosen, about 30 minutes.) Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap for 15 minutes, allowing them to steam and cool slightly. Peel the skins from the peppers, remove the seeds, and set the peppers aside.
• 3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, then add the hazelnuts and cook, shaking the pan a few times, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Drain the hazelnuts and let cool slightly. Remove as much paper coating on the nuts as possible. Discard the oil.
• 4. Make the romesco sauce: Combine the Nyoras, roasted red bell peppers, hazelnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, tomatoes, sherry vinegar, and 1/2 cup olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Season generously with salt and pepper and pulse until completely puréed. Transfer to a small plastic container, cover, and refrigerate until needed. The romesco can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
• 5. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a large straight-sided skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the shrimp turn pink and become firm, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• 6. Warm the cold romesco sauce. Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter and serve the romesco sauce on the side. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve immediately

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH HAZELNUT ROMESCO AND FRESH OREGANO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat grill. Rub pork with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and grill until golden brown, turn over and continue grilling to desired doneness. Let rest and cut on the bias. Serve with a dollop of Hazelnut Romesco and drizzle with Fresh Oregano Vinaigrette.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat until smoking. Separately saute the garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes, chiles, and bread cubes until lightly browned, about 2 minutes each. Remove each ingredient with a slotted spoon as it is done. Deglaze the pan with the wine.
• Place all the sauteed ingredients and the deglazing liquid into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the hazelnuts and process until finely chopped. Add the honey and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, honey, and oregano in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified.

HALIBUT IN HAZELNUT ROMESCO WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Place tomato on rimmed baking sheet and broil until skin is blistered and slipping off, turning once with tongs, about 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel skin off tomato, then cut in half and squeeze out seeds.
• Chop nuts in processor; add tomato, piquillo peppers, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, paprika, vinegar, salt, and cayenne, then puree. Transfer romesco sauce to bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
• Melt butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add halibut and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side (fish will not be cooked through). Transfer halibut to plate.
• Add broth to same skillet and bring to boil; stir in romesco sauce. Add halibut; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until halibut is opaque in center, about 2 minutes. Transfer halibut to plates. Place steamed potatoes alongside. Spoon romesco sauce over; sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve.
• Sometimes labeled Pimentón Dulce or Pimentón de La Vera Dulce; available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and from tienda.com.

HALIBUT IN HAZELNUT ROMESCO WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Place the tomato on a rimmed baking sheet and broil until the skin is blistered and slipping off, turning once with tongs, about 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the tomato, then cut in half and squeeze out the seeds.
• Chop the nuts in a food processor; add the tomato, chiles, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, paprika, vinegar, salt, and cayenne, then purée. Transfer the romesco sauce to a bowl.
• Melt the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the halibut and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side (fish will not be cooked through). Transfer the halibut to a plate.
• Add the broth to the same skillet and bring to a boil; stir in the romesco sauce. Add the halibut. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the halibut is opaque in center, about 2 minutes. Transfer the halibut to plates. Place the steamed potatoes alongside and spoon romesco sauce over. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve.
• COOK'S NOTE
• The SMOKED PAPRIKA is sometimes labeled pimentón dulce or pimentón de la vera dulce. It is available at some supermarkets and at specialty food stores.
• DO AHEAD
• The ROMESCO SAUCE can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

COD WITH ROMESCO AND HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 7-10 minutes; let cool. Lightly crush with a flat-bottomed glass. Mix in a small bowl with 2 Tbsp. oil; season with salt.
• Heat broiler. Broil peppers and tomato (skin side up) on a rimmed baking sheet, turning peppers occasionally, until skins are charred and flesh is softened, 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350°F.
• Transfer peppers to a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit 10 minutes. Remove skins and seeds from peppers; discard. Coarsely chop flesh. Remove tomato skin; discard. Smash peppers and tomato with a mortar and pestle, shielding the top with your other hand, until saucy (you can also pulse in a food processor). Transfer to a clean medium bowl and mix in garlic, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, and 4 Tbsp. oil; season romesco with salt. Let sit 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place fish on a rimmed baking sheet and rub with 2 Tbsp. oil; season both sides with salt. Bake until cooked through (a paring knife should easily slip through flesh), 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and finely grate some zest from lemon over.
• Cut lemon in half and squeeze 2 Tbsp. juice into a small bowl. Add parsley and a pinch of salt. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Spoon romesco onto plates, top with hazelnuts, then fish. Scatter parsley salad over.