Spanish Coca With Smoky Romesco And Potatoes Recipes

ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F)
• Cut a cross in the bottom of each tomato and place them cut side up along with the whole head of garlic on a baking pan (if you are using a slice of red bell pepper in place of the ñora, roast it here as well). Drizzle everything with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Roast the garlic for about 45 minutes, or until tender, then remove so that it does not burn. Continue roasting the tomatoes until the skin is beginning to blacken in spots - about 60 minutes.
• Meanwhile rehydrate the ñora peppers by placing them in a bowl of hot water. (You can also place them in a bowl of water the night before). Set aside to soften while the tomatoes roast.
• Toast the bread and the nuts. You can do this either by placing them in an oven-safe pan in the oven with the tomatoes for five minutes or so, or in a pan over medium heat on the stove.
• When the tomatoes are roasted, remove the pan and let them cool. Prepare the ñora by cutting them open and discarding the stem and seeds. Use a spoon to scrape the pulp away from the skin and discard the skin. I ended up with about 1 tablespoon of pulp from 2 ñora peppers.
• Put the vinegar in a bowl and wet the bread in the vinegar.
• Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. Also pop all the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins (peel the red bell pepper if you're using it). Transfer the peeled tomatoes and garlic to a blender or food processor and add the salt.
• Begin blending and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Once it's emulsified add the toasted bread and vinegar, ñora pulp and the raw clove of garlic if you are using it (it's optional).
• Finally add the nuts and blend a bit more. Romesco sauce should be a bit grainy so do not over blend, a bit of bite is good. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Romesco sauce should be a bit tangy. If would like a thicker sauce, add more bread. For a thinner sauce, add more olive oil.

CHICKEN AND CHORIZO ROMESCO WITH SPANISH POTATOES AND KALE

Steps:

• Heat about 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and slowly cook until crisp and golden brown.
• Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water, bring to a boil, season with salt and cook 15 minutes or until tender, drain and return to hot pot. While the potatoes cook, simmer kale in salted water 10 minutes then drain. When you are ready to serve, mash potatoes with stock and cheese, fold in kale, adjust salt and pepper.
• While potatoes come to a boil, move forward with the meal. Add to a food processor: toasted garlic (reserve the oil), some of the toasted bread in pieces, the peppers, tomatoes, sherry vinegar, almonds, and salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in reserved "garlic-oil" and add the rest of the toasted bread in pieces until you get a pesto-like consistency. Transfer sauce back to the skillet and keep warm over low heat.
• Cut each piece of chicken into 3 chunks and season with citrus zest, smoked sweet paprika, salt, pepper and parsley. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and render it 1 minute. Remove the chorizo to a plate and then add chicken and cook 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally.
• Pour a pool of sauce onto each dinner plate and top with a mound of potatoes and kale and chunks of chicken and chorizo. OLE!

SPANISH POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Mix the oil, tomato purée and paprika together, then coat the potatoes thoroughly in it. Squash the garlic in its skin with the flat of a knife and place on a baking tray with the potatoes.
• Season well with salt and pepper, then roast for 40 mins, turning halfway through, until the potatoes have crisped up and are fluffy inside. Five mins before the end of cooking, sprinkle over the lemon juice and return to the oven. Serve with the parsley scattered over.

SMOKY ROMESCO

Steps:

• Set up your favorite smoker and add a handful of hardwood chunks. If you have heat control, set it to whatever position will give you moderate heat: 180 to 200 degrees F. Allow the wood to smoke for approximately 30 minutes before adding food.
• While the smoker is heating, position an oven rack 5-inches below the broiler and set the broiler to high.
• Halve the peppers lengthwise, discard the seeds, place cut side-down on a sheet pan, then broil, rotating the pan halfway through, until the skins are charred, about 10 minutes. (Or you can char them over your gas cooktop burners if you have them. It's a little messy but darned efficient and fun in a medieval kind of way.)
• Transfer the peppers to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes, then slip the charred skins off the peppers with your hands. (Doing this under running water helps.)
• Spread the tomato paste into a thin layer on piece of parchment paper and place on a baking rack along with the peppers and garlic. Smoke for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a toaster oven to 400 degrees F and toast the almonds until light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Set up a food processor with an S-blade (the normal processing blade) and load in the bread cubes, smoked peppers, garlic and tomato paste, the toasted almonds, sherry vinegar and salt. Pulse until uniform but still chunky, then leave the motor running while you add the oil in a constant stream. (Do this fairly quickly so that the sauce doesn't puree completely.)
• For full flavor, wait a couple of hours to serve at room temp. To store, cover tightly and refrigerate for up 10 days or freeze in ice cube trays for easy dosing.

AUTHENTIC & EASY ROMESCO SAUCE RECIPE - (SALSA ROMESCO)

Steps:

• Hydrate the ñoras the day prior by placing in water (or boil 15 minutes to do this quickly-- not quite the same but it works!), remove the stem and all seeds
• Dry the bread out a few hours in advance (if possible), then toast in the toaster until golden brown. Let cool, remove crusts and cut into smaller cubes.
• Roast the head of garlic and plum tomatoes (pierced at the bottom with a couple of slits) for about 35 minutes at 400°F (200°C) -- drizzle with olive oil before putting in the oven
• Then roast the nuts on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes, moving them around every couple of minutes (keep a close eye on them-- stop when they're golden and fragrant and do not let them burn!)
• Let everything cool down and then mix everything (the tomatoes, peeled roasted garlic cloves, rehydrated peppers, toasted white bread cubes, vinegar, roasted nuts, and olive oil) together in a blender until uniform (not too smooth)
• Add more vinegar, salt, and cayenne (if you wish) to taste.
• Enjoy the sauce with roasted vegetables, or on a sandwich.

SPANISH COCA WITH SMOKY ROMESCO AND POTATOES

Steps:

• To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes, or until dissolved. Sift the 1 3/4 cups flour and the salt onto a work surface and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, remaining water, and the olive oil. Mix the ingredients in the well together with your fingertips, then gradually draw in flour to make a dough. Knead, dusting with flour as necessary, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until elastic. The dough should be soft, but only slightly sticky. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn to coat it with oil. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Prepare a very hot fire (525° to 550°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker.
• Knead the dough lightly on a floured board for 2 minutes. Roll into a 9 by 14-inch rectangle, stretching to size with your hands. It should be about 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to an oiled baking sheet and dimple the surface of the dough with your fingertips so it does not puff evenly.
• To make the topping, mix the 1/4 cup olive oil, pimentón, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl and brush half of this mixture generously on the dough. Spread evenly with the romesco sauce, then the green onions and oregano. Brush the edges of the crust with olive oil. Leave in a warm place for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the dough is puffy.
• Bake the bread in the oven for 10 minutes, rotating the pan once to bake evenly. Top with the roasted potatoes and continue to bake until the crust is brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush the edges of the crust with olive oil. Top with sliced eggs and cut into serving-size slices or squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.