Sauce for Calçots (Forkis recipe)
A creamy and flavor-packed sauce perfect for calçots, with a base of raw marcona almonds, roasted hazelnuts, and pine nuts that gives it a smooth and intense texture.
Ingredients
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 200 graw marcona almonds
  • 200 gtoasted hazelnuts
  • 200 gpine nuts
  • 1 roasted red pepper
  • 8 ripe tomatoes (roasted)
  • 1 capgarlic (escalivada)
  • 2 nyores (OPTIONAL)
  • toasted bread, or sponge cake, or almond biscuits or maria cookies
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • mild vinegar (a cava vinegar, apple vinegar, ..)
  • Julier
  • sweet paprika
  • salt
Nutritional Information

Per Serving (Approx.)

Calories
1021 kcal
Protein
29 g
Fat
90 g
Carbohydrates
44 g

Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.

Step-by-step Guide

Preparation

  • Roast the pepper, head of garlic, and ripe tomatoes in the oven at 200°C for 25-30 minutes, until the skin is charred and can be peeled off easily.
  • Soak the ñoras in a bowl with cold water for 30 minutes. It is important that the water is cold to not alter the flavor.
  • After 30 minutes, remove the seeds from the ñoras and scrape out the pulp with a small spoon or knife.
  • Clean the roasted pepper, tomatoes, and head of garlic, and place them in the blender jar.
  • Add the almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, toasted bread (or substitutes), and a tablespoon of sweet paprika to the jar with the vegetables.
  • Also incorporate the flesh of the ñoras into the blender jar with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Add a tablespoon of water and one of vinegar. Blend everything with the blender until you obtain a homogeneous paste.
  • Gradually add the olive oil, blending as you pour, until the sauce has a creamy consistency, neither too thick nor too diluted.
  • Finally, adjust the salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste, taking care not to overdo it with the vinegar.
Recommendations & Tricks
  • Ensure the tomatoes, red pepper, and garlic are well roasted, meaning the skin should be easy to remove and the flesh should be tender and sweet.
  • Lightly toast the raw marcona almonds before adding them to the sauce to intensify their flavor.
  • Soak the ñoras for at least 20 minutes in warm water before scraping off the pulp and adding it to the mixture.
  • Use a good food processor to grind the nuts evenly, this will help you achieve a smooth texture.
  • Consider adding a touch of extra virgin olive oil while blending the ingredients to obtain a creamier sauce.
  • Gradually add toasted bread or crushed carquinyolis to achieve the desired consistency, adjusting according to your taste.
  • Adjust with salt and pepper at the end to balance the flavor of the sauce.