Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Broccoli
- 600 g broccoli, cut into medium florets
- 30 ml olive oil
- 4 g sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Hazelnut Romesco
- 200 g roasted red peppers, drained well if using jarred
- 80 g hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g sourdough bread, stale, torn into coarse chunks
- 20 ml sherry vinegar
- 2 garlic, peeled
- 3 g smoked paprika
- 3 g sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 473 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 24 g
- Fat
- 41 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 869 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 29 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Potassium
- 748 mg
- Calcium
- 105 mg
- Iron
- 2.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 73 mg
- Phosphorus
- 177 mg
- Zinc
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 144 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 200 mg
- Vitamin E
- 9.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 176 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.27 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.26 mg
- Niacin
- 1.9 mg
- Folate
- 141 mcg
- Water
- 187 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 220C (425F). Place a bare baking sheet inside the oven while it preheats. This ensures a rapid sear on the broccoli upon contact.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the prepared broccoli florets with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven. Arrange the broccoli in a single, uncrowded layer. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the stems are tender and the florets are deeply charred.
While the broccoli roasts, prepare the romesco. Combine the roasted red peppers, toasted hazelnuts, stale sourdough bread, garlic, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, and sea salt in a food processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times until coarsely chopped.
With the food processor running, slowly stream in the extra virgin olive oil. Process just until the mixture forms a thick, textured paste. Do not over-process; traditional romesco should have a slight crunch.
To serve, spread a generous swoosh of the hazelnut romesco sauce across the bottom of a serving platter. Arrange the warm, charred broccoli directly on top of the sauce.
Chef's Notes
- For the deepest, most authentic flavor, rehydrate dried nora peppers and scrape out the flesh to use in place of the smoked paprika.
- Sherry vinegar is critical for true Spanish flavor, offering a complex, nutty acidity that standard red wine or apple cider vinegars lack.
- Do not discard the thick broccoli stalks. Peel the tough outer layer with a vegetable peeler, slice them into coins, and roast them alongside the florets—they are the sweetest part.
- If your hazelnuts have skins, roast them at 180C (350F) for 10 minutes, then vigorously rub them inside a clean kitchen towel to remove the bitter skins before using.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store the romesco sauce and roasted broccoli in separate airtight containers to maintain the crisp texture of the broccoli.
Freezer: 1 month — The romesco sauce freezes beautifully. Do not freeze the roasted broccoli as it will become mushy upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat broccoli in a 180C oven for 5 minutes. Serve romesco sauce cold or at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Romesco sauce is too thick or pasty
Cause: The bread absorbed too much moisture or the peppers were highly drained
Fix: Pulse in 15ml (1 tablespoon) of warm water or additional olive oil until the desired dipping consistency is reached
Prevention: Ensure measurements for bread and oil are accurate
Broccoli is mushy and lacks char
Cause: Florets were wet, crowded on the pan, or oven was not hot enough
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooked, but still edible
Prevention: Dry broccoli thoroughly, use two baking sheets if necessary to prevent crowding, and ensure full preheating
Cultural Context
Romesco sauce originated in Tarragona, Catalonia, where local fishermen initially pounded it together in mortars to enliven the day's catch. The incorporation of native almonds and hazelnuts alongside New World ingredients like peppers and tomatoes makes it a perfect snapshot of Spain's culinary evolution. Today, it pairs just as beautifully with charred vegetables as it does with seafood.
