Romesco is one of those special ingredients that is most efficiently utilized if you just make it and keep it in the fridge. I haven’t had anything with romesco that I didn’t like; raw vegetables, in salads, braised meats, with seafood- I could keep going. So given this Summer sun I decided to grill up some cod and serve the sauce cold under the warm vegetables and fish giving this really fresh interesting contrast.
Essentially, romesco is a mix of different ingredients that makes a sauce of roasted red peppers, nuts, garlic and more! But its really just a base to either build off of or even just act as a vehicle making other things taste even better! You could easily throw a cup over hot pasta and be done with dinner in as much time it took to boil pasta. Having this in your fridge ready to go is really going to save last minute dinners all summer long.
Here’s what you’ll need:
For The Romesco
3 large red peppers, roasted whole- then remove the seeds OR 1 large jar of roasted red peppers
4 plum tomatoes
1 cup hazelnuts + 1/4 cup for garnishing, lightly toasted
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
juice of half a lemon
Salt to taste
Red pepper flakes or fresh habaneros (optional)
This recipe really doesn’t get any easier. Add everything into a blender or food processor and just pulse to the desired consistency. I like to go a bit longer with mine as we’re using it as a sauce here. Put into a tupperware and into the fridge! This will hold for about week.
For The Cod
1 pound of fresh cod divided evenly into 3-4 portions (even sizes means even cooking time)
8 cloves of garlic
8-12 sprigs of thyme
1 lemon, cut in half and zest removed and set aside for later
Salt & pepper
Extra virgin olive oil as needed
My outdoor kitchen was a fire pit but don’t be intimidated by this recipe, a grill works great too. If you’d like to learn more about cooking on or with direct coals check out my post “Cooking With Fire”.
Turn your grill to 375 degrees F and keep it at a medium- high heat.
To make the foil packets I like to use a double layer for extra protection from such harsh temperatures. Using an appropriate size and double layer of aluminum foil, place 2 lightly smashed garlic cloves down and add your fish on top. Next squeeze the lemon, using 1 half for 2 portions, and add the thyme and a light drizzle of olive oil. Season to your liking with salt and pepper.
Fold the packets in a way where the seam as on top and the outer seams fold up then in. This will allow minimal leaking and keep your steam in to efficiently cook the fish.
Place on the grill and close the top, keep your temperature around 375 degrees and open the top as little as possible. Fish cooks quick, they should only need about 8 or 10 minutes at most. Again, cooking time will depend on how big your portions are but cod is done when theres a nice bounce to the touch and you can see its firm, bright white and flakey.
Be careful removing these as foil gets super hot. Vent the top to cool or keep covered for any desired carry over cooking.
To Serve
Spread a generous and delicious amount of romesco in the center of the plate. You can add some steamed or grilled vegetables at this point to if you fancy, we just went with some quick steamed green beans! Next place you cod on top and garnish with fresh gated lemon zest and toasted hazelnuts!
