Sunday, September 19, 2010

Perfect Party Potluck Dish: Romesco Dip

Last night was our monthly Wine Pundits wine tasting and get together and since this one was at a member's house and not a restaurant, we had a potluck as well.

I discovered this delicious dip at an art opening a few months back and convinced the cook to give me her recipe. Romesco sauce is originally from Catalonia, Spain, but there are many, many variations on this fabulous, healthy dip. It tastes creamy like it has a whole lot of mayo in it, but almonds are the secret, thickening ingredient. Also, if you know any vegans, throw this recipe their way.

Please note that I tripled this recipe for the party so the photos show a lot more going on than just a normal sized recipe.

Cecilia's Romesco Dip

1/2 cup raw almonds
2 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
3 large roasted red peppers (1/2-3/4 12 oz. jar)
2 Tablespoons red wine or Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
heavy pinch of cayenne
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Start by roasting the almonds. You can either stick them in a 350 oven for 10 minutes (shake pan halfway through) or roast in a cast iron skillet on the stove. Allow to cool while prepping the rest of the ingredients.

When almonds are cool, pulse in food processor until finely chopped.

Add rosemary, oregano, garlic, and blend in.

Next add your drained red peppers, sugar, salt, and cayenne.

Pulse until thoroughly blended.

Finally, add olive oil through top feed tube while processor is running and until well combined.
I served these with baked pita triangles, but I think it could also be great on a turkey sandwich or warm on top of fish.

2 comments:

  1. Looks good. Healthy, too. I will try this. Can I roast my own red pepper if I can't find the preserved kind? (There is a Moroccan dip with roasted red peppers, but no almonds. Hmm....)

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  2. You can absolutely roast your own red peppers. I would normally do that but they are expensive here right now and the jars are much cheaper. This is so good, it tastes like candy.

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