Yield: 1 servings
| Measure | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 3 | Dried ancho chiles |
| 2 larges | Tomatoes |
| 4 tablespoons | Extra-virgin olive oil; divided |
| 4 tablespoons | Extra-virgin olive oil; divided |
| 1 teaspoon | Finely chopped jalapeno chile |
| 2 | One-inch-thick slices of white Italian-style country bread |
| 1 tablespoon | Chopped garlic |
| ¼ cup | Blanched almonds; toasted & finely ground |
| ¼ cup | Hazelnuts; toasted, skinned and finely ground |
| 1 tablespoon | Red-wine vinegar |
| ½ teaspoon | Salt |
| Toasted bread |
Friday someone asked about a sauce someone sold in baby-food jars - I got home & my new "Ladies Home Journal" was waiting for me - inside they had recipes "Taste of the Mediterranean" - here's a recipe that sounds (and looks) like what you may be talking about: Spain: A classic sauce from the coastal region of Catalonia, Romesco is a finely ground mixture of nuts, dried chiles, tomatoes, garlic and fried bread cubes. It's a great sauce for grilled fish, pork or beef.
Soak ancho chiles in enough hot water to cover. Let stand until chiles have softened, 20 minutes. Drain. Remove seeds and chop.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 350-deg F. Place tomatoes and 2 TBS extra-virgin olice oil in an ovenproof skillet. Bake tomatoes until skins begin to peel, 15-to-20 minutes. Remove from sillet. Cool. Discard skins and coarsely chop, reserving juice. Transfer tomatoes and juice to bowl.
Heat 2 TBS virgin olive oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add reserved anchos and jalapeno. Cook until jalapeno softens, 5 minutes. Transfer chile mix to bowl with tomatoes.
Wipe out skillet and heat remaining extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bread and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until oil is absorbed and slices are golden. Cool slightly, then cut into small pieces.
Puree garlic with tomatoes mixture in blender until smooth. Add Almonds, hazelnuts and bread; puree, scraping down the sides of blender with rubber spatula. Add vinegar, remaining 2 TBS virgin olive oil and ½ tsp salt, blending until smooth
Makes 2 cups.
Serve with toasted bread.
Posted to CHILE-HEADS DIGEST by "Bloechl, Sharen Rund" <sharen.rund.bloechl@...> on Jul 11, 1999, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.