Recipe: Romesco Sauce

Long overlooked, Spain is finally gaining world wide recognition for its amazing food. In my home I prepare a number of Spanish dishes including paella, pinchos mouros, batatas bravas and others. Among my favorites is salsa romesco from Tarragona, in Spain's northeast region of Catalonia.

As with many popular foods, the variations of romesco are limitless, but at its core are some standard ingredients. Among these are nuts, garlic, red peppers, tomatoes and wine vinegar. Often other ingredients are added to better match the romesco with the food that it is to be served with. Among these other ingredients are things like dried or smoked chillies or herbs like fennel or mint.

My introduction to romesco sauce came in the form of a condiment on a turkey sandwich that I ordered at a popular soup and sandwich chain. I loved romesco immediately. The complexities and interaction of the nuts, red peppers, tomatoes and red wine vinegar result in a delicious and versatile sauce that enhances the flavors of many other foods.

Traditionally, romesco was most often served with seafood. Today romesco sauce is used in a wide variety of other dishes. I've used it with great success not only as a condiment on sandwiches and grilled chicken and beef, but also as a dip, pasta sauce, baked potato topping and a host of other things. My children love Israeli couscous mixed with a dollop of romesco. sauce. I'm looking forward to trying it on hot dogs and hamburgers. Like I said: I love it!

For my version below I opted to use several different varieties of nuts for a more complex flavor. I also roasted the red peppers and tomatoes for a sauce with a richer flavor. This recipe also makes a good amount of romesco sauce. It is easier and economical to make it in larger quantities and then portion it out and freeze it so that you'll always have some on hand when you need/want it.

Romesco Sauce

1 ancho chile
1 cup of almonds
1/3 cup of peanuts
1/3 cup of pistachios
1/3 cup cashews
6-8 cloves of garlic
4 plum tomatoes
2 large or 4 small red peppers
2-1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tsp paprika (Spanish sweet preferred)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
Olive oil

Soak the ancho chile in water for 4 hours or overnight. Carefully remove the stem and seeds and cut the ancho chile peppers up into small pieces. Set aside.

Set the oven to 450°F allow it time to heat. Place all the nuts, garlic and bread cubes into an ovenproof skillet. Place the skillet in the oven and allow the nuts, garlic to roast and the bread to toast. Stir occasionally. Be careful not to burn anything. Remove from oven, place in a bowl to cool and set aside.

Set your oven to broil. Place the tomatoes and red peppers in the skillet and place under the broiler. Turn the peppers as each side blackens. When mostly black remove from broiler and place in a paper bag to cool. Roast the tomatoes until the surfaces blister and soften. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Remove roasted pepper from bag and carefully remove blackened skins, stems and seeds. Cut the peppers into large pieces and set aside.

Take the tomatoes and remove the stems. Cut into large pieces and set aside.

Place the nuts, garlic and bread together in a food processor and chop until the pieces are uniform and well blended.

Add the tomatoes, red peppers, ancho chile, sea salt, paprika, red pepper flakes and red wine vinegar to the nut blend and chop and blend until almost paste-like.

While the food processor is running SLOWLY add a fine stream of olive oil to the mix until you achieve your desired consistency. For pastas you'll want a smoother sauce, for dips or for use on sandwiches you'll want something a little thicker.
Recipe: Romesco Sauce from Chop Onions, Boil Water - World Food at Home by Henry Krauzyk http://www.choponionsboilwater.com

Recipe: Henry's Mexican-Style Rice

This is a rice dish I prepare when I'm serving Mexican food. I'm not sure how authentic it is because it is my own creation based on a variety of rice dishes I've had on both coasts of Mexico. I do know that my wife, kids and friends love it because it always goes, and its flavor blends well with the Mexican dishes I serve it with. I love to heap chunky guacamole and salsa fresca on this and shovel it into my mouth until the pleasure center in my brain flips into overload. That's comfort food baby! My wife loves it with a good dollop of sour cream.

You do what you like with it, I don't think you're going to be disappointed! It comes together quickly and is easy enough to prepare that I ALWAYS, ALWAYS (written twice for dramatic effect in case you didn't notice), serve it ANYTIME, ANYTIME (yes, again), that I serve Mexican food in my home.

You'll notice that I've listed Goya® Sofrito among the ingredients. I make it with both homemade and store bought sofrito. That depends on the time I have and the ingredients I have on hand. I don't think any American readers will have a problem finding the Goya stuff in the local market (BUY THE FROZEN STUFF!). If you're one of my non-American readers or a hands-on American reader you can find your own sofrito recipe online.

Henry's Mexican-Style Rice

2 Tbs peanut oil
2 Tbs Goya© Sofrito (frozen kind)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 small onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 6 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 cups of steamed rice
1/2-3/4 cup of cooked peas
1/4 - 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

Heat a large dutch oven over a medium-high flame.

Add peanut oil.

When oil begins to shimmer, add the sofrito, red pepper and onion. Cook until the onion is translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes being careful not to burn it.

Add the tomato sauce and blend well.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lower heat. Add the steamed rice and blend well.

Stir in the cooked peas.

Remove from heat and add cilantro, fluffing the rice as you mix.

Recipe: Henry's Mexican-Style Rice from Chop Onions, Boil Water - World Food at Home by Henry Krauzyk http://www.choponionsboilwater.com

Recipe: Chickpeas and Chorizo

Today, our world food that you can cook at home comes from the Iberian Peninsula. Chickpeas and Chorizo, (or Garbanzos y Chorizo as it is known in Spain) is a very popular tapas dish. It is one of those humble but fortifying dishes that the Spaniards and Portuguese are masters at creating. Trust me, I'm a fan of such foods and you are going to see many of them here.

Don't be discouraged if you can't find chorizo at your local market. You can find it online or you can substitute your favorite spicy sausage. That's what is great about simple dishes, they usually allow you forgiving avenues of exploration.

I have seen a great deal of variation in this dish. It can run the range from a simple preparation of little more than chorizo, chickpeas, onion, salt and pepper, to something a little more seasoned like the recipe below.
Chickpeas and Chorizo (Garbanzos y Chorizo)

20 ozs. chickpeas (cooked fresh or canned)
1 bay leaf
2-3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 quart chicken stock
2 TBS olive oil (I use Portuguese)
1 large onion (chopped)
2-3 cloves garlic (chopped fine)
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1 lb. chorizo links
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Place a large sauce pan over high heat, add the chickpeas, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the 2 TBS of olive oil, when it begins to shimmer add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and thyme and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Stir frequently, do not burn the garlic!

Add the chorizo to the onion, garlic and thyme mixture and cook. Flip the sausage frequently and stir the onions around so they don't burn (it's okay if they caramelize a bit).

When the skins of the chorizos darken and caramelize, remove them from the pan. Slice the links in 1" pieces and then reintroduce to the fry pan.

Remove the bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon stick from the simmering chickpeas. Add the chickpeas and broth to the chorizo and onions in the frying pan. Raise heat to high and simmer, stirring frequently.

Using a potato masher, mash some of the chickpea mixture in the frying pan. This thickens it up nicely. Test for seasoning and adjust to preference.

When most of the liquid has been reduced, remove from heat. Toss in the chopped parsley and fold throughout.

Serve hot in bowls. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and serve with a hearty wine and crusty bread.

Recipe: Chickpeas and Chorizo (Garbanzos y Chorizo) from Chop Onions, Boil Water by Henry Krauzyk http://wwwm.choponionsboilwater.com

Recipe: Chicken and Chourico Paella

My indoctrination to good paella came at the hands of a chef at a resort I was a guest at in the Dominican Republic. Every day at lunch and dinner he would prepare a different variation of the dish that was both attractive and delicious. During one afternoon of my stay, he gave a demonstration on how to cook it and I jumped at the opportunity and I have never looked back.

Paella, much like chili and some other foods, has its passionate followers and I have become one. Its ingredients are not complex and its preparation is straightforward. However, (and in Zen-like fashion) when prepared correctly the dish transcends its humble beginnings by creating a harmony between its ingredients and attaining something quite special, and wholly greater than the sum of its parts (wow, that was awesome, for a moment I felt like a real writer).

Of course variations abound and so do schools of thought. Many paellas you'll find in restaurants are primarily seafood-based affairs. They range from the quite good, to excellent and authentic, to hollow counterfeit products from chefs who know little and think you know even less. Authenticity aside, I have personally seen variations calling for ingredients as varied as rabbit and land snails. Commonly, you'll see chicken, sausage, shrimp, lobster, squid, mussels, clams and just about anything else. The bottom line is that it really doesn't matter what you put in your paella, just that you cover the basics. In the photo above is a paella I made with all the ingredients below, plus the addition of serveral kinds of seafood.

Two of those basics that I will highly recommend are high quality saffron threads and the purchase of a genuine, Spanish-made, carbon steel paella pan. I’ve read cookbooks that say you can cook paella in any shallow and wide pan but I say differently. They are wrong! The biggest difference I noticed in my paella cooking experience was the introduction of my authentic Spanish-made paella pan. Let’s face it, if you’re not prepared to take this seriously you might as well just buy a boxed paella and microwave it.

Now, don’t buy the high-priced hype about saffron OK? Also, don’t buy it at your supermarket or ANYWHERE they sell it by the gram! It is usually of a lesser quality and dramatically overpriced. There are plenty of sources where an ounce of high quality saffron threads can be had for the same price as several grams at your supermarket, (Read a post about my favorite saffron supplier).

If you can't get chourico (you're bumming), no, just use any spicy sausage and add a few teaspoons of paprika. Also, if you want some seafood in it, go on and add it. I do! It is an easy dish to cook and people are drawn to watch it being prepared. Experiment a little and you'll be an aficionado in no time and a member of the ageless, secret society of paella preparers and mystics.

Chicken & Chourico Paella

(Serves 8, use an 18" paella pan)
6-8 cups of chicken broth
1 tsp saffron threads steeped in water overnight
4 boneless chicken breasts (cubed)
Olive oil
2 tsp dry oregano
10 cloves of garlic (minced)
5 large shallots (chopped)
2 lbs of chourico (sliced in 1/4" pieces)
1 28 oz can of tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes)
2 red peppers (cut into thin slices)
2 green peppers (cut into thin slices)
2 cups of green beans cut in 1" lengths
4 cups of rice (arborio preferred)
1 box of frozen peas
Salt & pepper to taste

In a saucepan prepare the chicken broth, bring to simmer and add saffron and liquid. Add black pepper to taste. Keep just below a simmer.

Place chicken, garlic, oregano in a bowl, add 2 Tbs of olive oil and mix well. Place aside for about 10-15 minutes.

Place a paella pan on burner and preheat. Add a little olive oil to pan. When oil begins to shimmer, add the chicken mixture and cook, stirring often until 3/4 done.

Add shallots and cook until they begin to brown.

Then add peppers, chourico, green beans and tomatoes. Stir frequently until vegetables begin to soften.

Add rice by sprinkling evenly over the mix.

Add a few cups of broth to mixture and blend in. Bring it too a simmer. From this point on, DO NOT stir the mixture any more.

Add frozen peas to top of mixture, DO NOT mix in.

Keep adding broth. Let mix simmer, continually replace liquid as it evaporates until the rice begins to get tender. When the rice starts to get tender, stop adding the broth. (If you run out of broth before the rice is tender, you can supplement the paella with warm water.)

Paella is complete when moisture is completely absorbed, mixture thickens and paella caramelizes slightly on the bottom of the pan.

Remove from heat. Cover with foil and towels and allow the flavors to meld for about 10 minutes.

Serve family style.

Recipe: Chicken and Chourico Paella by Henry Krauzyk from Chop Onions, Boil Water