Spanish food enthusiasts in the United States have cause to rejoice. The dried ñora chili, an essential ingredient in the splendid Catalan sauce called romesco, is finally available. For years, cookbook writes tantalized readers with descriptions of romesco and then told us we couldn’t possibly make it authentically because we lacked the ñora, a small, brick-red, barely hot cherry pepper.

No longer. Online merchants and some specialty shops (such as Spanish Table) carry ñoras, so a true romesco is within reach of any cook with a mortar and pestle. That would be the old-fashioned way to make this pounded chile, nut and garlic sauce. But even Spaniards now make romesco in a blender or food processor.
Other ingredients in Romesco
Romesco is a specialty of Tarragona, a coastal town south of Barcelona. Every cook makes it slightly differently, but the foundation is the flesh of the reconstituted dried ñora. Most versions call for the addition of roasted sweet red peppers, roasted or fried garlic, fried almonds and/or hazelnuts. Some include fresh tomato; others don’t. Some add a slice of fried bread to give the sauce more body. Fruity extra-virgin olive oil holds it together, and a splash of vinegar brightens it. Whether blended or pounded in a mortar, the finished romesco should be rusty red, garlicky, as thick as mayonnaise but not too smooth.

It is only a slight exaggeration to say that romesco goes with everything. In Catalonia, the sauce accompanies grilled, poached or fried fish and shellfish. Often it’s whisked into a fish soup to thicken it, or served alongside. It makes an excellent dressing for boiled cauliflower or potatoes. You can serve it with grilled rabbit, chicken or pork.

In late winter and early spring, Catalans and visitors to the region consume vast quantitites of romesco with the grilled spring onions known as calçots. These long, slender onions resemble baby leeks, which can stand in for calçots if you want to host a calçotada, or spring onion feast. The onions are grilled directly over a hot wood fire until the outsides are thoroughly blackened. Then they are wrapped in newspaper and set aside to steam in the retained heat. To eat them, diners peel away the charred outer layer and dip the remaining onion in romesco. Don’t bother with knife and fork: this is finger food.

Watch Spanish gastronome Josep Maria Blassi prepare a blender romesco. (Flash video, 6:12)

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