Romesco Sauce

Makes 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

3 red bell peppers, washed and cut into chunks

1 ½ cups whole cherry tomatoes

1 cup whole raw almonds

6 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled

3 teaspoons kosher salt

3 to 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar

½ cup of olive oil

2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Wash, dry and cut peppers into 2-inch pieces. Toss the peppers with cherry tomatoes, garlic, ¼ cup of the oil and 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt. Tip onto a large baking sheet, don’t crowd the vegetables — you want them to roast, not steam. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, checking and stirring them at the halfway point. Set aside to cool. Put the almonds in a dry sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat. Shake the pan occasionally so that they don’t burn. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until they start to smell fragrant.

Skin the garlic and place the cloves into a food processor along with the toasted nuts, the rest of the roasted vegetables, including any leftover flavored oil on the baking sheet, the paprika, 3 tablespoons of vinegar, 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt and the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Process the mixture, leaving it slightly chunky.

Taste and adjust the seasoning and if the consistency is too thick for you, add some more olive oil.

Note: Don’t skip the sweet paprika — it really adds flavor and uniqueness.

This is great over a halibut or swordfish filet, or served as a flavorful dip for shrimp and raw or roasted vegetables. You can even make it ahead and freeze it for later.