Gaga for Romesco

In my refusal to let the cold weather take away the last bits of my first summer in Chicago, I was looking for a bright and flavorful way to capture the warm weather in a meal. 

Fate was on my side, and red bell peppers were on sale for ten cents a piece. Not only that, Lady Gaga's Bad Romance has been on repeat in my head for about a month now, and that ro-ma-ro-ma-ma line just makes me think of Romesco sauce.

I remember tasting some on a piece of  toast at some random Tapas bar in Barcelona and thinking that the bright, smoky, tangy flavors captured the essence of Spain perfectly. 

My own version is simple, clean, and will smack you in the mouth with smoky deliciousness. Not only that, it's cheap and easy to make! Make sure to get smoked paprika though, it makes all the difference.

Fire roast some bell peppers,

Cover them up with some saran wrap so they will steam and soften for twenty minutes or so.

Cook down some tomatoes with olive oil and garlic...

Blanch some almonds and throw the whole thing in a food processor. 

Romesco Sauce

1 large tomato

2 red bell peppers

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup blanched and dry-roasted almonds

2 Tbsp red or white wine (whatever you have open)

1 slice double toasted loaf bread

1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper

Roast 4-5 red bell peppers over a gas stove until they are black and mostly charred all over. I know it looks and sounds a bit dangerous, but my grandma showed me how to do this years ago and even though this was my first time trying it, the results are amazing! If you don't have a gas range, you can also grill the peppers on a barbecue. 

Blanch almonds for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, and rub the skins off in a colander under cold running water. Dry roast them in a saucepan until they've dried off and start to turn brown and smell fantastic

Finally, pulse everything in a food processor until the whole thing is well-blended and you have a thick sauce about the consistency of hummus. 

You can serve this on some good crusty bread, over grilled meat, or even use as a dip for carrots. I got a little crazy and spooned it over fried chicken cutlets and served it with roasted cauliflower.