Romesco: Texture Is Everything

Romesco is a Catalan sauce that lives or dies by its texture — it should be coarse and rustic with visible pieces of nut and roasted pepper, never a smooth puree. Jay Rayner called Georgia's romesco 'fantastic,' and the key is building flavour in layers: roast the peppers until blistered and blackened, toast the almonds and hazelnuts until golden, soak the dried nyora chile to rehydrate its fruity heat, then pulse everything together rather than blending continuously. The sherry vinegar provides essential acidity that lifts the smoky, nutty richness. Drizzle in good Spanish olive oil with the motor running at the end for body. Xanthe Clay's only note was that there was too much on the plate — romesco is intensely flavoured, so 2–3 tablespoons per serving as a bed for meat or fish is the right amount. Leftover romesco keeps for a week in the fridge and improves as the flavours meld.