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)
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.
