Best 3 Hazelnut Romesco Recipes

HALIBUT IN HAZELNUT ROMESCO WITH POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Place tomato on rimmed baking sheet and broil until skin is blistered and slipping off, turning once with tongs, about 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel skin off tomato, then cut in half and squeeze out seeds.
• Chop nuts in processor; add tomato, piquillo peppers, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, paprika, vinegar, salt, and cayenne, then puree. Transfer romesco sauce to bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
• Melt butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add halibut and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side (fish will not be cooked through). Transfer halibut to plate.
• Add broth to same skillet and bring to boil; stir in romesco sauce. Add halibut; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until halibut is opaque in center, about 2 minutes. Transfer halibut to plates. Place steamed potatoes alongside. Spoon romesco sauce over; sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve.
• Sometimes labeled Pimentón Dulce or Pimentón de La Vera Dulce; available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and from tienda.com.

HAZELNUT ROMESCO

Steps:

• To make paste, add boiling water to 2 dried ancho chili pods. Weight with a plate for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pods from water and purée, adding just enough of the water to make a paste. Pass paste through a mesh strainer and reserve.
• Cut the crusts off the bread and tear into 2 to 3 pieces. In a sauté pan over low heat, fry bread in ¼ cup olive oil until golden brown and crisp. Cool on paper towels.
• In a food processor, combine hazelnuts, garlic, bread, salt and spices. Mix until a dry paste forms. Add the ancho paste, red peppers and their juice, tomato paste, vinegar, hazelnut oil and another ¼ cup olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Adjust with oil for a thinner consistency if desired, and taste for salt and spice.
• Serve as a dip with rustic bread, or as an accompaniment to roast pork or lamb.

SAUTéED SHRIMP AND HAZELNUT ROMESCO

Steps:

• 1. Snap the stems from the Nyora peppers. Shake out and discard the seeds. Put the Nyoras in a heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Set a small plate on top to keep the peppers submerged and let sit until softened, about 20 minutes. Discard the soaking liquid. Set the peppers aside.
• 2. Roast the red bell peppers: On the stovetop, hold the peppers with tongs over an open burner, turning them until they're blackened uniformly, about 3 to 5 minutes. (Alternatively, put the peppers on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 450°F until the skins become brown and loosen, about 30 minutes.) Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap for 15 minutes, allowing them to steam and cool slightly. Peel the skins from the peppers, remove the seeds, and set the peppers aside.
• 3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, then add the hazelnuts and cook, shaking the pan a few times, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Drain the hazelnuts and let cool slightly. Remove as much paper coating on the nuts as possible. Discard the oil.
• 4. Make the romesco sauce: Combine the Nyoras, roasted red bell peppers, hazelnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, tomatoes, sherry vinegar, and 1/2 cup olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Season generously with salt and pepper and pulse until completely puréed. Transfer to a small plastic container, cover, and refrigerate until needed. The romesco can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
• 5. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a large straight-sided skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the shrimp turn pink and become firm, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• 6. Warm the cold romesco sauce. Transfer the shrimp to a serving platter and serve the romesco sauce on the side. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve immediately