There is no definitive source for how to make romesco, the sauce served with Zarzuela (page 270) and many other Spanish seafood dishes (you can serve it with any simple fish dish you like). I’ve had it cooked and uncooked, and I like it better raw, which may be due in part to the lack of hassle, but I also like the fresher flavor. If you can find a fragrant dried chile, like a pasilla, by all means use it.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1 cup

　　1/4 cup blanched almonds or hazelnuts

　　2 medium or 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped

　　1 small dried chile or cayenne to taste

　　1 garlic clove, peeled, or more to taste

　　1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or to taste

　　Salt to taste

　　2 tablespoons sherry or other vinegar

　　

Step 1

Toast the nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, until they become aromatic and color slightly, less than 5 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Combine the tomato, chile, and garlic in a blender or small food processor and puree. Add the nuts and turn on the machine, adding the oil gradually until it is all used up. Add a pinch of salt and the vinegar, then taste and adjust the seasoning. You can make it stronger if you like, adding more chile, garlic, or vinegar. Use within a few hours.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.