This is the most delicious sauce that combines peppers, tomatoes and toasted almonds. A really versatile sauce, it can be served with griddled vegetables, haloumi, chicken or fish.
Traditionally made in Spain with Nora peppers, this recipe uses roasted red peppers, which are more accessible, but do give a slightly different flavour.
I've used blanched almonds, although hazelnuts are often used, or a combination of the two. If you can't find blanched almonds, then you can blanch them yourself, but peeling them is a labour of love!
The amount of garlic varies wildly across recipes, with some using just a single clove and others a whole head. I roast half a head, use 2 cloves and then adjust to taste.
200g red peppers
250g ripe tomatoes
50g blanched almonds
50g white bread (preferably stale)
½ head of garlic
1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
50ml Olive oil
Seasoning
- Pre-heat the oven(s) to 200°C
- Place the blanched almonds on a baking sheet and roast in the hot oven until golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Cut the peppers in half and deseed them. Lay them on the lined tray, cut side down.
- Line another baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Place the tomatoes on the lined tray. Wrap the garlic in foil and place on the tray.
- Place both the trays in the hot oven (or in 2 separate ovens). The peppers will take approximately 30 minutes to blacken and the tomatoes 40-45 minutes. (They may take slightly longer if cooked in the same oven).
- Remove the peppers from the oven and remove any remaining stalk. Peel the skin from the peppers (being careful not to burn your hands) and set the peppers aside.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven. Peel off the skin and set aside.
- If the bread isn't stale, lightly toast to remove some of the moisture. Tear up the bread into small pieces.
- Place all of the ingredients, except the garlic, in a blender along with salt and pepper.
- Peel the skin from 2 garlic cloves and add to the blender.
- Blend the ingredients to the desired consistency. Traditionally the sauce was made using a pestle and mortar, so I prefer to use the pulse setting on the blender, to give a slightly chunkier consistency.
- Adjust the sauce to taste, either by adding more roasted garlic, sherry vinegar or seasoning.
- The sauce is traditionally served at room temperature, although it can be served chilled and hot as well.
