The second the sun starts shining, I start craving the light, bright food of summer. To me, that means thrown-together charcuterie boards eaten on the back deck. It means big, leafy salads punctuated with bracing vinaigrette. And most of all, it means meals I can prepare without turning the stove on for too long. That's why I love to whip up a batch of (my version) of the classic Spanish condiment romesco.
Traditionally, it's made with dried peppers, tomatoes, almonds and often bread to help thicken it. Over time, I've taken liberties. I omit the tomatoes altogether and opt for jarred red peppers so I can easily make it year-round with pantry staples. I don't add bread—it's plenty hearty without the added liquid from tomatoes. I also started using walnuts because...I'm on a walnut kick, what can I say? (P.S. have you tried this walnut dijon? It's wonderful.) The result is creamy, tangy, a little bit spicy and good on almost everything—especially some plump, quickly charred shrimp. Serve with a glass of sangria and dreams of Catalonia.
Ingredients
For the romesco:
1 16oz jar of roasted red peppers
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup olive oil
For the shrimp:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Directions
To make the romesco, combine drained red peppers, walnuts, garlic, sherry vinegar, paprika, salt and cayenne in a food processor and blend.
With the processor running, slowly stream in the olive oil.
Toss the peeled and deveined shrimp in a bowl with olive oil, paprika, salt and garlic powder. Spread in a single layer over a pan on medium-high heat. Cook undisturbed for two minutes—the bottoms of the shrimp should be opaque and slightly charred. Flip and cook for another minute, until the last whisper of translucency has just left.
Serve the shrimp warm with romesco for dipping. If I'm making a whole spread, I like to boil some potatoes and roast some cauliflower to dip in the sauce too. Leftover romesco will last about five days in the fridge, and it's great on leftovers).
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