Best Romesco Sauce With Marcona Almonds Recipes

COCOA BLACKENED STEAK WITH MARCONA ALMOND ROMESCO

Steps:

• For the leeks: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack.
• Put the whole leeks on an unlined sheet tray and bake, flipping halfway through, until completely charred, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool to the touch.
• For the cocoa blackened steak: Combine the smoked paprika, cocoa powder, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked salt, sugar and coffee in a bowl. Divide the mixture between the each of the rib eyes and let sit for 15 minutes.
• For the leeks: Once the leeks are cool to the touch, remove the outer layers, revealing the soft leeks inside. Finely chop the leeks and add to a bowl. Add the cocoa nibs, olive oil and red wine vinegar and season with the smoked sea salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• For the Marcona almond romesco: Blend the peppers, olive oil, white chocolate, tomatoes, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, salt and garlic in a blender until smooth. Add the almonds to a food processor and pour over the blended sauce. Pulse until coarse, not smooth.
• Heat a 14-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil and the steaks and cook on both sides until evenly charred, about 7 minutes per side, searing in batches if needed. Remove from the skillet and put on the rack on the sheet tray. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
• Serve the steak alongside the romesco and the leek condiment.

ROMESCO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler and cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the tomatoes on the baking sheet, and place under the broiler at the highest setting. Broil for two to four minutes, until charred on one side. Turn over and broil on the other side for two to four minutes until charred. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Peel and core.
• Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic cloves. When the garlic is chopped and adheres to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides. Add the toasted almonds (or almonds and hazelnuts), bread and chile powder or flakes to the bowl and process to a paste.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the pepper, tomatoes, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper. Process until smooth, and with the machine running, add the vinegar and olive oil in a slow stream, beginning with the smaller amount of olive oil and thinning out as desired. Process until well amalgamated, then scrape into a bowl.
• Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt or chile as desired. If possible, allow the sauce to stand for an hour at room temperature before using. Serve with fish and/or grilled vegetables, or on crostini.