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Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

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Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby Alexandria » Thu Apr 19, 2018 1:00 pm

Good Morning, :thumbsup :thumbsup

Romesco is a sauce or salsa, whose antecedents can be fouind among the elborate sauces mentioned in the Medieval Catalan Recipe Book, Libre de Sent Sovi, dated 1324 (without tomatoes).

This recipe is still prepared today, and is basically the following incredients: Sautéed day old bread, garlic cloves, dried Ñora peppers often called Romesco Peppers, almonds, hazelnuts, olive oli and vinegar.

There are as many recipes as there are restaurants, hotels and people in Barcelona, Tarragona, Gerona & Lérida ..

Here is my grandmom´s recipe ..

1 red ripe tomato ( de-seeded and peeled & then minced )
1 small head of garlic ( minced and sautéed )
2 Ñora dry chili peppers ( soaked overnight, remove the seeds and reserve the skin of the peppers and the pepper flesh )
toasted hazelnuts - 15 grams ( crack shells, pound to a powder texture in a mortar with a pestle )
toasted almonds - 15 grams ( pound to a powder texture in a mortar with a pestle )
1 Slice of day old bread - preferably rustic country bread or rural bread
Evoo ( equivalent of 75 grams drizzled into the mixture slowly )
Sherry Vinegar or white wine vinegar ( 50 grams )
1 / 8 to 1 / 4 teaspoon of Smoked Extremaduran Pimentón de La Vera, smoked paprika
1 dry chili pepper ( guindilla ) Cayenne and crumble
Salt ( 1 or 2 pinches )

1) In a large glass bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and the nuts ( Pounded by a pestle in a mortar )
2) Now add the wet ingredients included the Ñora mild dry chili peppers soaked overnight and the flesh from the shells or exterior covering, by scraping with a tiny knife )
3) Now sauté the bread in Evoo until golden ..
4) Let cool for a few minutes and break up the bread ( Drain off the Evoo ) and add to the bowl ..
5) Add the liquids and very slowly the Evoo ..
6) With a stand up mixer, create a thick salsa ..

Note: This salsa can be lightly sautéed in sauce pan and / or served without heating it ..

This is a perfect pairing for white fish varieties ..

Also, note, one can use a blender or food processor ..

Have a lovely day .. :thumbsup :thumbsup
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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby WhitefieldFoodie » Thu Apr 19, 2018 3:25 pm

One of my favourite sauces, along with an Indian style green chutney.

I love it slathered all over a firm white fish such as Hake, and served with crispy potato's.

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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby Alexandria » Thu Apr 19, 2018 3:49 pm

Whitefield Foodie, :thumbsup :thumbsup

I am a grand fan of Romesco too ..

Thank you for visiting .. :wave :wave

Have a lovely day ..
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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby Renée » Sat Apr 21, 2018 11:07 pm

I'm so pleased that I've discovered this wonderful sauce, Alexandria! Serving fish will never be the same again! I will try your grandmom's recipe next time, but perhaps without the sautéing!

I hope that you are enjoying your weekend!

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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby Alexandria » Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:48 am

Good Evening Renée, :thumbsup :thumbsup

I am pleased to hear that you have enjoyed the Romesco Sauce so much ..

It is quite delicious ..

Thank you Dear ..

All my best for a lovely lovely weekend .. :wave :wave
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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby karadekoolaid » Sun Apr 22, 2018 1:44 am

Romesco is a wonderful sauce.
Just a point, though.
Removing the seeds from a chile does NOT make it milder; removing the vein to which the seeds are attached, does.

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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby mark111757 » Sun Apr 22, 2018 4:12 am

KKA

One of the first things chef taught us when I worked at the store. More heat comes from the ribs of the pepper. Than the seeds. Personally I would remove both. Unless a customer has an iron stomach.

Thanks for the reminder

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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby Renée » Sun Apr 22, 2018 9:47 am

Thanks for the information, KK. I didn't know that.

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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby MariaK » Sun Apr 22, 2018 10:32 am

karadekoolaid wrote:Removing the seeds from a chile does NOT make it milder; removing the vein to which the seeds are attached, does.


Ñoras lost their heat centuries ago and from their initial condition as hot, horn shaped aji (Taino name) / chillies or "pimientos" as Columbus called them , became small, chubby round balls due to climate, soil and quite a bit of judicious tinkering on the part of Hieronymite monks (order of St Jerome).

Columbus never made it to the Spice Islands, so he had to get his pepper (pimienta) in somewhere to justify his trip, not to mention the loss of the Santa Maria on Christmas Eve 1492 near what is today Cap Haïtien .

Why the Hieronymite monks? Before travelling up to Madrid to meet the Catholic monarchs he stopped off at the monastery of Guadalupe and light a candle as promised and thank our Lady of Guadalupe for his safe return. Thence they travelled to Yuste in Extremadura - where very similar peppers are grown to make Pimenton de La Vera - and eventually to the town and monastery of Ñora in Murcia.

How to deal with Ñoras? This video shows all - Soak in tepid water for about 4 hours and then do as shown. You can use hot/boiling water - and soak for about 15 minutes, but you'll miss out on flavour.

Video
http://www.mediatripa.com/blog/2015/09/10/noras/

Today's useless info:

Incidentally,it's recorded that he took the ajis to Madrid and offered some to the King and Queen - Ferdinand chickened out but Isabella took a dainty bite. Conclude what you will!!

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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby Alexandria » Sun Apr 22, 2018 11:38 am

Karakoolaide, :thumbsup

I remove the seeds as I find the texture disagreeable !!

Ñora dried chili peppers are very very mild ..

The key to success of this salsa is the soaked over night Ñora for their interior flesh & the texture which is coarse and similar to an Italian Ligurian Basil Pesto ..


Have a nice day .. :wave
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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby Stokey Sue » Sun Apr 22, 2018 11:48 am

I keep looking at this thread because to me in the UK salsa tends to mean the Mexican or Tex Mex stuff, correctly salcita, though of course I know that salsa is generically sauce as well

I tend to remove the seeds from chilli to be eaten raw or lightly cooked, as they get between the teeth in a particularly unpleasant way, regardless of the heat :(

We have something of a tapas or small plates trend round here, and calcots (a kind of Catalan spring onion) served grilled with romesco sauce is popular in season. A variant of the dish made with those baby leeks the size of a thick pencil is also seen, as authentic calcots have a short season and cost silly money here. Something to do if you have a barbecue.

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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby karadekoolaid » Sun Apr 22, 2018 1:17 pm

MariaK:
It´s wierd, but certain chiles seem to lose their potency over time. Over here we use a chile called " Ají Dulce " ( sweet chile) - which is not hot at all, but retains the wonderful pungent flavour of a hot pepper. These chiles are IDENTICAL to Habanero chiles - and yet, not heat. The belief is that when the fruit are removed form their original, or preferred habitat, they lose their potency. Many special chiles ( I currently have some Mexican chiles called Chilhuatl, for example) will not even grow if they´re not planted in their own, unique ecosystem.
Mark:
Bright guy to know about the seeds! I suppose the seeds could be classed as irritant, in the sense of getting stu ck in your teeth or not being digestible - but the other myth, that chiles cause acidity or damage the stomach lining, is also untrue. There´s a specialist on Chiles called Dave de Witt - works with the Univ. of New Mexico and has written loads of books - who actually experimented with chiles by injecting capsaicin directly into stomach linings - no effect at all. Far more likely to upset stomachs was meat and milk products!

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Re: Salsa: Grandmom´s Romesco Version

Postby Alexandria » Sun Apr 22, 2018 2:18 pm

Sue,


The Allium Cepa or White calçot, hails from the verb: Calza Calçar ( pronounced Kal Tha, Kal Sot ), dates back to medieval times, and there is a harvest season called: La Fiesta de Calçotada, which takes place only in the 4 autonomous communities of Cataluna, during November through April ..

They are renowned on Grill ( or BBQ ) and due to the short growing season they are rarely exported.


There is a similar onion called: Cebolletas, which are possess a long Green stem with "dangling balls " which are normally 2 or 3 or 4 at most, spherical onions .. They are not "Calçots" ..
They are called "Spring Onions" in English .. and they are grown through out the Iberian Peninsula ..

Romesco is a " Pesto " verses a sauce in texture as it is quite thick ..

Salsa is the Word for Sauce in Castillian Spanish as you know ..

Have a nice day ..
Barcelona, soulful & spirited, filled with fine art, amazing architecture, profoundly steeped in culture & history, and it engages all your senses, and food fancies.

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