fiery romesco
Smoky, spicy, and a little bit sweet, this is a condiment to have on hand at all times.
Pair it with Miles Davis’s “Spanish Key”
This is a modified version of Suzanne Goin’s recipe for romesco sauce. Dried chiles lend smoke and heat, sautéed tomatoes add body and sweetness, and a splash of lemon juice brightens up the acid profile. Goin’s romesco really can’t be improved upon, but I recommend this variation if you want to get a little spicy. Put it on anything. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
Start by toasting about 60g of morita or ancho chiles (dial that back if you’re sensitive to spice) in a frying pan. Place the chiles in a small bowl of hot water for 10 minutes to rehydrate. In the meantime, proceed by toasting 125g hazelnuts in the pan. Set aside those toasted nuts. Take about 125g good bread, slick it with olive oil, and toast it in the frying pan over high heat. Rip it into pieces and place it aside with the nuts. Warm some olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat and add the rehydrated chiles and 375g crushed tomatoes, stirring until the mixture darkens a bit, about 5-7 minutes. In a food processor, pulse the toasted nuts with the bread and 1 clove of garlic until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the chile-tomato mixture and buzz it until it forms a paste. Drizzle about 1/2 cup of olive oil into the food processor while it’s running. Add a little lemon juice and salt to taste.
