Eating In
February 2008

At the wonderful calçotada feasts in Catalunya, which happen any time between January and Easter, they make this extremely more-ish sauce. Traditionally served with the grilled onions of the calçotada feasts, it's also fab with grilled chicken or fish.

SALSA PER CALÇOTS

Makes about 1 cup/250ml, enough for about 6 people
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
4-5 tomatoes
1 red or green chile, de-stemmed, halved lengthwise, de-seeded
1 chunky slice white bread from country-style loaf, crusts removed
1-2 tbsp vinegar
100g peeled almonds
30g hazelnuts
5 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

• Put garlic cloves, tomatoes and chile on a griddle or heavy, ungreased frying pan,  heat steadily till garlic is soft and blotchy, the tomatoes burnt in patches and the chile slightly blistered
  
• Set to one side
• Soak bread in vinegar
• Put almonds and hazelnuts in a small baking tin and toast in a 200^oC/400^oF oven for 8-10 minutes or until the almonds are golden and the hazelnuts toasty and fragrant, and the husks can be rubbed off easily
  
• Remove, allow to cool a little, then twizzle the hazelnuts between finger and thumb to remove the husks. Put almonds and hazelnuts in the blender and grind to a fine powder
• Quarter tomatoes and slip garlic cloves out of their skins
• Add tomatoes, garlic and chile to the blender and blend till smooth
• Add the soaked bread cubes and blend again
• With the motor running, pour olive oil in a steady stream through the hole in the blender lid and continue blending till the sauce emulsifies and turns a gorgeous pale orangey-red
• Season to taste with salt

© Sue Style 2008