You probably will end up with more sauce than needed, but the sauce keeps well in the fridge for about a week and is also delicious with oven roasted potatoes and veggies.
Servings: 8people
Author: Tal Maes - Kitchen Table Food
Equipment
small roasting tin, food processor, brush
Ingredients
Romesco Sauce
1 large (or 2 small)red bell pepper(s)or use bell peppers from a jar (see note)
2 large garlic clovesunpeeled
50 g / 1.75 ozblanched almonds
30 g / 1 ozbaguette
5-6 sundried tomatoes in oildrained
2tbspred wine vinegar
5 tbsp olive oil
½tsphot (smoked) paprika powder
Crostini & Roasted Scallions
6-8scallions
½-1baguettesliced
olive oilfor drizzling
Instructions
Preheat the oven broiler. Put the bell pepper and unpeeled garlic cloves in a small roasting tin. Broil the pepper until it is charred and soft, turn it every now and then with tongs. Make sure the garlic cloves don't burn! Take them out of the oven as soon as they are brown and feel soft on the inside. Take the bell pepper out of the oven and let it cool in a pan with a lid (this process will help you peel the bell pepper more easily).
In a small skillet, toast the almonds until slightly golden brown. Remove from the heat. Soak the bread in a bowl with some cold water until soft. Peel the bell pepper and remove the stem and seeds.
Put the bell pepper in a food processor. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins and add to the bell pepper. Squeeze the bread lightly and add it to the bell pepper as well. Add the almonds, tomatoes, vinegar, and olive oil and process until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if you like a thinner and more creamy sauce, add a small pice of soaked bread if you like a thicker sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.
Right before serving, preheat the oven broiler again. Rinse the scallions, remove the roots and ends of the leaves, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and cook on all sides under the broiler for several minutes until soft and slightly charred. Remove from the oven. Let cool a little and cut them into pieces.
Arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet and brush with some olive oil. Place under the broiler and watch closely. Turn the slices over as soon as they turn golden brown (1-3 minutes, depending on the distance from the broiler). Broil again until golden. Remove from the oven.
Top the crostini with the Romesco Sauce and roasted scallions. Grind over some fresh black pepper and serve.
Notes
If roasting a bell pepper is too time consuming for you, you can use one or two good quality roasted bell peppers from a jar instead (and use 1 raw garlic clove instead of the roasted garlic).