Grilled spring onions with romesco

[Guest guest]

The traditional calcots used in Catalonia cannot be found here, but the larger

Mexican scallions sold in most produce stores work pretty well. I plan on using

some of our garden onions after they grow a bit more. Did you know that you can

slice the green parts off grocery store scallions, plant the lower part and you

will get scallion tops again?

 

Preparation:

 

Grill a bunch of young onions over wood fire cinders, or your favorite method.

Sweat in wrapped news papers of paper bags, or a covered bowl. Remove outer

leaves and eat the grilled interior dipped in romesco sauce.

 

Here is a recipe for romesco sauce. It can be made very well using

mortar/pestle for the nuts and tomatoes. An immersion blender works pretty well

for this too, less mess than a food processor.

 

Romesco

 

Ingredients:

4 medium-size ripe tomatoes (1-3/4 lb. total), cored

1 head garlic, sliced in half crosswise

2 Tbs. plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1-1/2 oz. (1/4 cup) blanched almonds

1-1/4 oz. (1/4 cup) peeled hazelnuts

1 dried ancho chile, cored, seeded, slit, and opened so it lies fairly flat

1 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt; more to taste

2 to 3 Tbs. red-wine vinegar

1 slice stale white bread, torn and fried in olive oil, if needed

 

Heat the oven to 375°F. Put the tomatoes and one half of the garlic head in a

baking pan. Drizzle about 1 Tbs. of the olive oil into the cored tomato wells

and on top of the garlic half. Roast until the tomatoes and garlic are well

caramelized but not burnt, about 90 minutes. From the remaining half head of

garlic, coarsely chop 1 Tbs. garlic and put it in a food processor.

 

While the tomatoes roast, heat about 1 Tbs. of the olive oil in a small sauté

pan over medium heat. Toast the almonds and hazelnuts in the pan, shaking the

pan or stirring so they don't burn, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Cool the

nuts on a paper towel and then put them in the food processor.

 

If using a dried chile, sear it in the same small pan over medium-high heat

(keep it flat with a spatula or a fork) until a smoke wisp appears, about 10

seconds per side. Soak it in 1 cup hot tap water until soft, about 15 minutes.

Drain and put the chile in the food processor.

 

When the tomatoes and garlic are caramelized, let them cool. Pinch off the

tomato skins (discard them) and squeeze out the garlic pulp. Put the tomatoes

and garlic pulp in the processor. Add the salt and start the processor, pouring

in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil in a slow, steady stream, as if making

mayonnaise. Add the vinegar, pulse to incorporate, and taste; the sauce should

have some zing, so add more if needed. Add salt to taste. Add ground up fried

bread to thicken the sauce if desired.