Calçots con salsa Romesco (Big spring onions / scallion with Romesco Sauce)

a side dish for 4

12 big spring onions / scallion

a little olive oil

kosher or sea salt

Romesco Sauce

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts & almonds

4 small tomatoes 

6 big cloves garlic

2 dried red peppers

2 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar

sea salt 

Heat oven to 400F. Drizzle a little oil on a baking sheet and smear it around, lay the onions on the sheet in a single layer, and roast about 45 minutes, until the onions are very tender through and browning.See on the picture how is the tradition in Cataluña. 

Served with romesco sauce. The prep work for the sauce takes a little time just because there’s some toasting and roasting involved, but you can do that ahead of time, even the day before. 

ROMESCO SAUCE

Put the dried red peppers in a bowl and pour boiling water over them to soak and soften. Heat oven to 375F and roast the tomatoes and 4 cloves of garlic (skin and all) in a small baking dish slicked with a little olive oil for about 45 minutes, until they’re caramelized. 

Peel the garlic after it’s roasted. Turn the oven down to 350F, and toast the hazelnuts and almonds at 350F for about 10 minutes, until they take on a little color and smell toasty. No need to peel the nuts, but after they cool take a minute to brush off skin that comes off easily.

Drop the roasted nuts, tomatoes and garlic in a blender.  Add the two cloves of raw garlic. Take the peppers out of their soak, remove and discard the stem and seeds, and add the pulp and skin to the blender. Add the olive oil and whirl until well blended. Add the vinegar and the salt to taste.



Make it spicy adding some chillies or paprika to the romesco sauce. Also by cooking the spring onions with spicy olive oil.