Romesco
Photo: Laia from Reus, Catalonia · CC BY 2.0

History

Romesco is credited to the fishermen of El Serrallo, Tarragona's fishing quarter, who first used the word for a fish stew thickened with a fried picada of almonds, hazelnuts, garlic, bread and dried red romesco pepper. That stew, the romesco de peix, is still cooked along this coast, including in Cambrils. The cold sauce called simply romesco probably grew out of it and spread from the 1960s, as tourism arrived; it is also the sauce for the calçotada.

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Common allergens: Nuts, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Makes about 300mlHands-on 25 minTotal 1 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 dried nyora peppers
  • 2 ripe tomatoes
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 40g blanched almonds
  • 30g hazelnuts
  • 1 slice of day-old bread
  • 120ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
  • Salt

Method

  1. Soak the nyoras in hot water for 30 minutes, then scrape out the flesh with a spoon and discard the skins and seeds.
  2. Roast the tomatoes and the whole garlic head at 200C for about 30 minutes, until soft; peel both.
  3. Toast the almonds and hazelnuts in a dry pan, and fry the bread in a little of the oil until golden.
  4. Blend or pound the nyora flesh, tomatoes, garlic cloves, nuts and bread, then add the oil in a thin stream and finish with vinegar and salt.

Tip from the editors. If you cannot find nyoras, use dried ancho peppers; let the sauce rest an hour before serving so the flavours settle.

Where to eat romesco

Romesco in Salou

Carbònic ★ 4.3

€€€ Cocktail barLounge barPlatja De Llevant

Carbònic grills aged beef, fresh fish and seasonal vegetables over holm-oak charcoal on Carrer Major in Salou, backed by a cellar of more than 400 wines.

OrderThe Uruguayan Angus lomo alto, the cut the kitchen says it sells most, straight off the coals.

DrinkHouse cocktails

FoodGrill dishes from the steakhouse kitchen

TipArtichokes with romesco are the seasonal favourite; the lounge bar keeps pouring after the kitchen closes, until 01:00 on Friday and Saturday.

Directions

Tabaré Gastrobar ★ 3.9

€€ Cocktail barGastrobarCentre

Tabaré Gastrobar crosses South American grill cooking with European plates on Via Roma in Salou: charcoal skirt steak, 30-day aged beef and a calzone.

OrderEntraña a la brasa with sweet potato dip, criolla sauce and chimichurri.

DrinkSangria and cava by the litre

FoodGrilled meat and South American plates

TipJugs of house sangria and cava run by the litre, which suits a group; the 30-day aged chuletón comes by the half or full kilo.

Directions

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