Salsa Romesco ("Queen of the Catalan Sauces!")

Salsa Romesco atop grilled prawns.

[ts]
How can we do a Spanish menu and not make Romesco sauce? As Núria says, it is the "Queen of the Catalan sauces!"

We first heard of Romesco sauce from Culinaria Spain. Unfortunately, the book did not contain the recipe itself, just one for salvitxada, which is very similar to Romesco.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvitxada

But, I was set on making Romesco. It's so much easier to read and pronounce, after all. Can you imagine saying "salvitxada" over and over throughout the course of one evening? ;)

So, once again, we turned to Núria. Reading the recipe, it certainly wasn't hard. But, in any case, just to get as many tasks done in advance as possible, I decided to make our Romesco sauce for the party a couple of days beforehand.

Was I glad I did!

Yes, making the sauce wasn't hard, but was it ever time-consuming! Also, I thought the flavors were much better the following days.

[update]
Oooh, I didn't realize this could be entered into this edition of Weekend Wokking! We've been feeling guilty about not submitting anything in a while. The theme is CHILI PEPPER.

Ñoras (Dried Red Peppers)


[ts]
When I read Núria's recipe, I thought I would have to make subsitutions for these ñora peppers, as I was sure I wouldn't be able to find them. But, strolling around the Italian supermarket (incidentally, the same one where we happened upon some bacalao), I saw these small boxes displayed beside smoked paprika and saffron. Score!

I soaked the peppers in hot water.



[ts]
I had to remove the seeds and peel and use only the flesh. These peppers were small, and their flesh thin. My first reaction was, "What flesh?!! There's no flesh!"



[ts]
But, I set to work and used a spoon to scrape off the thin flesh clinging to the skins.


The small yield.

Roasted Garlic & Roasted Tomatoes


[ts]
I also had to roast some garlic and tomatoes for the sauce.

That was simple enough, except I left them in the oven a tad too long (more than 1 hour!), as JS and I were purchasing some morcilla sausage at a Portuguese shop and decided to swing by that same Italian supermarket mentioned above.

I squeezed the garlic out of their skins, and peeled the roasted tomatoes, discarding their skins.

Roasted Hazelnuts & Roasted Almonds

clockwise from top: roasted almonds; roasted tomatoes, peeled and seeded; roasted garlic; reconsituted ñora peppers, peeled and seeded; roasted hazelnuts, peeled

[ts]
I also needed to roast some almonds and hazelnuts. Then, the hazelnuts also needed to be peeled.

Finally, my ingredients were ready to be made into Romesco sauce!

What were they again? Ah yes, they were:
reconsituted ñora peppers, peeled and seeded;
roasted garlic;
roasted tomatoes, peeled and seeded;
roasted almonds; and
roasted hazelnuts, peeled.

Whew.

Also add to that list some olive oil, fresh garlic cloves, and salt (of course).

Although it wasn't an ingredient in Núria's recipe, I also added a touch of white wine vinegar to cut the richness of the nuts. I omitted the mint leaves just because we didn't have any on hand.

Everything got thrown into the blender.



[ts]
Ta-da!

This sauce goes well with seafood... or anything else! Here it is on some grilled prawns.



[ts]
Romesco sauce has such a great, complex flavor.

In fact, several guests at the party thought it was akin to Southeast Asian sauces, like a peanut sauce and even a shrimp paste sauce! It just has that big boost of very multi-dimensional flavor.

When we ran out of prawns, I just ate it with plain, white rice; I saw a few people at the party doing this. It was still so delicious and satisfying just by itself that I couldn't really complain.

Recipe: Núria's Salsa Romesco
Note: I doubled the recipe and ended up with a huge amount of sauce.



Next up, the reason we made Salsa Romesco in the first place.

See the rest of our Spanish-themed New Year's Eve Menu here.

Enjoyed this post? Why not subscribe to our blog? Subscribe via reader or subscribe via email. Thank you!

eatingclub vancouver Weekend Wokking posts:
Ravioli "Caprese": Tomato, Basil, Bocconcini
Eggplant "Clafouti"
Bibingka
Pumpkin Congee w/ Pumpkin "Beignets" & Sesame-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese w/ Pipián Verde
Adobo Mushroom Tart
Duck and Orange Crêpes with Orange-White Wine Sauce
Almond Eggplant "Bisteeya" (Bastilla)
"Mashed Potato Beef Burger" (Red-skinned Potato Salad in Taiwanese Sacha Cheeseburger)
Korean Soybean Sprouts Pancake (Kongnamul Jeon)
Lemon Chamomile Tiramisu
Cilantro Horchata
Strawberry Cilantro Salsa, on Grilled Flank Steak
Duck Enchiladas with Chipotle Peanut Salsa
Clear Oxtail Soup with Corn, Cabbage and Potatoes
Beijing Pickled Cabbage
Salsa Romesco ("Queen of the Catalan Sauces!")
Aguadito de Pollo (Peruvian Chicken Soup)
Bangus Belly à la Bistek (Milkfish Belly with Onions, Calamansi and Soy Sauce)
White Pork with Garlic Sauce, Two Ways (蒜泥白肉)
Mr. Zheng's Soupy Tomatoes and Eggs with Tofu (蕃茄雞蛋跟豆腐)
Steamed Fish and Tofu with Chinese Black Beans
Spinach and Cheese with Puff Pastry, Three Ways

We're submitting this recipe to Weekend Wokking, a world-wide food blogging event created by Wandering Chopsticks celebrating the multiple ways we can cook one ingredient.

The host this month is Wandering Chopsticks herself!

If you would like to participate or to see the secret ingredient, check who's hosting next month.

Check out all Weekend Wokking Roundups.

Leftovers from 2009

Various HK-style café dishes
HK-style milk tea & lemon iced tea; seafood chow mein;
fried rice with langostines & basil; honey-garlic pork ribs;
pork chop with black pepper sauce; Chinese-style "Japanese" ramen;
some other noodle dish; HK-style curry with rice;
thick toast with butter & condensed milk, whole and up close

[ts]
With 2009 over, it's only fitting that we let go of these dishes or items that, for some reason or other (usually because of bad photos), have never gotten a post of their own. Our Drafts folder here sure needed a good purge. Those HK-style cafe dishes above were consumed in April 2008!

LATimes article about HK-style Cafés, if you're so inclined:
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-hongkong16apr16,1,6223823.story

Bagoong Salmon "Wellington"


[ts]
Such a shame, the bad photos. This was actually quite a popular dish! We made this for one of our gatherings and there was none leftover!



[ts]
We spread some bagoong on top of salmon, then wrapped it with phyllo pastry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagoong_alamang#Bagoong_Alamang




[ts]
Even with the very unexpert wrapping of phyllo, the dish was still a hit.



"Giniling Jufran"


[ts]
A Filipino home-style dish with no name. Not posted because JS claims she cannot remember how she made this.

As the name giniling suggests, this has ground pork. Oh wait, JS now tells me she used ground beef. I guess this is why we never posted about this dish!

Other ingredients were bell peppers, peas, raisins, soy sauce, and ...?

I'm not too sure about any other ingredients, but what makes this a giniling Jufran? Well, Jufran Banana Ketchup, of course!

Our other giniling dishes
Mama's Giniling (v.1, v.2 and v.3)
Mama's Giniling (v.4 and v.5)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_ketchup



Philippine Braised Chicken Wings


[ts]
This is simply a dish of chicken wings marinated in our Philippine BBQ marinade, then braised, uncovered, until the wings were cooked and the marinade has reduced to a glaze.

Philippine Chicken "BBQ"
Philippine Pork "BBQ"

Spinach Ricotta Lasagna


[ts]
Um yeah, what it says there. This is a Spinach Ricotta Lasagna.

Broccoli Soup with Cheddar Crouton

self-explanatory

Finally, some sweet things!

Cranberry-Orange Almond Bread


[ts]
This was made by our resident baker, CSC. Unfortunately, the copy she wrote for this was rendered inapplicable because it mostly talked of our faulty oven before our move to the new house.

Ube (Purple Yam) Star Ice Cream Cake with Ube Halaya

Horrid, horrid photo!

[ts]
I should post about this since it's already a year late. If anybody can recall, this was one of the desserts we served for our Starry, Starry Night New Year's Eve party in December 2008!

Our labor-intensive all-Philippine New Year's Eve Menu:
A Starry, Starry Night in Vancouver -- Evoking the Philippine Christmas Spirit



[ts]
I realize now that we haven't posted about this because I don't actually have exact measurements on how to make this Ube Halaya, nor measurements for my Ube Ice Cream!

Ube Halaya is sometimes translated as Ube "jam". I made mine my cooking together purple yam, coconut milk, cow's milk, and sugar.

Here's a recipe from Kusina ni Manang:
http://kusinanimanang.blogspot.com/2009/01/ube-haleyahalayajaleya-basics.html



cut-out ube halaya stars ready for duty

Star Ice Cream Cake Assembly



And there you go! We are done with 2009!
More or less. =)

Bacalao con Patatas (Baked Salt Cod and Potatoes)

[js]
I've always wanted to do a bacalao dish for the longest time.

Of course, given that I'm also the type extremely comfortable with desires percolating somewhere in the back of my mind, I've never actually done anything concrete to realize my bacalao dreams.

One day, however, some bacalao just happened to fall into our shopping baskets when we were out shopping for mascarpone cheese.

Finally!



[js]
A bacalao dish is simply needed to complete a Spanish-themed menu, don't you think? So, that's what we did for our Spanish-themed New Year's Eve Party.

I vaguely remembered a bacalao dish with potatoes from a show long time ago, so I suggested that we do something similar with our bacalao.


salt cod soaking in water

[ts]
So, it was off to consult 1080 Recipes yet again!

Of course, we also looked to Núria's blog for bacalao information. She even has a bacalao and potato dish as well!

Before anything else, I had to get the bacalao soaking. I soaked them in cold water for two days, changing the water several times.

So, what bacalao dish to make?

JS and I were very intrigued by Bacalao al Pil Pil, a dish where the cod's own fat/oil is used to make an emulsified sauce (Núria has posted about it before). But, as our codfish didn't have the skin on, we couldn't make that. Besides, it was probably going to be challenging making enough for 50+ people.

I ended up pulling a Frankenstein with my dish, pulling ideas from a couple of recipes from the cookbook to make my own version of Bacalao con Patatas.

Cooking & Flaking Bacalao

soaked bacalao ready for cooking

[ts]
It was very easy to cook the fish. After the two-day soak, I rinsed them off.

Into a pot they went, and then some water to cover. I turned the heat to high, and when the water was starting to boil, I turned the heat off. The pot was covered and the lot was left to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes, even up to 30 minutes.


bacalao, flaked

[ts]
Then, it was time to take the cod out of the cooking water and flake it!

Potatoes and Creamy Sauce
[ts]
I sliced some russet potatoes thinly, using the food processor. Perfectly sliced potatoes are not required here. I must say we had quite a bit of scraggly bits of potatoes.

The creamy sauce was simply a béchamel. I started by heating a combination of milk and cream in a pot and steeping some garlic cloves, black peppercorns and a couple of dried bay leaves in it.

In another pot, I made a roux -- heating some butter in a pot, then adding an equal amount of flour -- and whisking and cooking that for a few minutes. The steeped milk went in next. The mixture thickened quite quickly. I seasoned the sauce with a little bit of smoked paprika, and refrained from salt (as the bacalao was still quite salty).

Assembly and Baking


[ts]
There's my little bacalao con patatas set-up.

I layered the baking dish with béchamel sauce, then sliced potatoes, then flaked bacalao, then more sauce. I repeated until I reached the top, making the sauce the final layer.

I covered the dish with aluminum foil and baked in a 350F to 400F oven for about an hour. For the final few minutes, I took off the foil and broiled the top for a nice browned look.



[ts]
There it is, out of the oven, all golden and crusty on top, and creamy below.



[js]
We ran out of oven space so we only made one pan of our bacalao con patatas for the party. (There were enough potatoes and bacalao for two pans.) The dish sold out in the first 20 minutes! I had to scrape the sides of the pan for my own serving.


Want a bite?

[js]
Which was a blessing in disguise, I suppose, because nothing beats the broiled béchamel bits -- they were delicious!

The potatoes were soft and tender, the sauce über-creamy, and the salt cod just added some flaky, salty kick to the whole dish.

This was such a superstar dish.

I don't think I'll be content leaving my bacalao desires on the backburner after this dish. I foresee bacalao con patatas gracing our table many, many times in the near future.



See the rest of our Spanish-themed New Year's Eve Menu here.

Enjoyed this post? Why not subscribe to our blog? Subscribe via reader or subscribe via email. Thank you!

[eatingclub] Spanish
Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish "Omelette")
Roast Duck and Orange Crêpes with Orange-White Wine Sauce
Sardinas na Bangus (Milkfish in the style of Sardines)
Red Wine-braised Squid with Potatoes and Chorizo
Philippine Beef Salpicao (and a Spanish variation)
Stewed Tripe, Spanish-style
Lengua Estofada (Beef Tongue Braised in Red Wine and Veal Stock)
Bacalao con Patatas (Baked Salt Cod and Potatoes)
Salsa Romesco ("Queen of the Catalan Sauces!")
Grilled Calçots (Green Onions) with Salsa Romesco
Empanada de Pavo
(Galician-style Meat Pie with Turkey Filling), plus Turkey Cracklings!
Fideuá (Spanish Seafood Noodle "Paella")... and Paella
Cocido (Spanish Stew with Various Pork Cuts)
Slow-Roast Pork Shoulder, Two Ways



Recipe
Bacalao con Patatas (Baked Salt Cod and Potatoes)
Serves 16 to 20, as part of a multi-course meal

This is a very forgiving dish in that measurements/quantities do not need to be exact.

2 pounds salt cod

1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cream
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
5 black peppercorns

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
smoked paprika, to taste

4-6 medium russet potatoes

Prep
Soak salt cod in cold water for two days, changing the water several times.

Preheat oven to 350F/400F.

Cooking Salt Cod
To cook the salt cod, place it in a pot. Cover with cold water. Place over high heat. When the water starts to boil (not yet a rolling boil), turn the heat off and cover the pot. Let salt cod sit in the water for 10 to 15 minutes.

Take out of the water and flake. Set aside.

Béchamel Sauce
In a small saucepan, heat milk and cream over low heat. Add garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns and steep for about 10 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for about 10 more minutes. Remove the garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns; discard.

In another pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and start whisking. Cook this mixture until light golden brown in color, about 2 minutes. Pour in the milk-cream mixture and whisk until smooth and thickened. Season with smoked paprika.

Slice Potatoes
Peel and thinly slice potatoes.

Assembly and Baking
In a baking dish (approximately 9-inch by 13-inch, and 2 or 3 inches in height), add a ladle of sauce, a layer of potatoes, and a layer of salt cod. Repeat until desired height or quantity is reached. End with a final layer of sauce. If you need more sauce, simply add more milk or cream.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. To test, poke a knife into the dish; the potatoes should yield easily to the knife.

Remove foil and broil the dish until the top is golden brown.