A Romesco sauce is a classic Spanish sauce predominately served with fish, that is a purée of roasted red pepper, raw almonds, breadcrumbs, sherry vinegar and garlic. Smoky from the roasted red peppers, a luxurious texture from the addition of bread crumbs, and just the right amount of rich acidity from the sherry vinegar, this sauce not only pairs well with your favorite fish, but also shellfish liked seared scallops or shrimp. (In my opinion, the sauce works well on pork or even a grilled skirt steak, as well as a dip for crudités!)
My version of a traditional Romesco sauce leaves out the breadcrumbs, but subs in a touch of grated Parmesan cheese instead, and includes raw walnuts instead of almonds. Best when served at room temperature, this time I decided to dress up baked fillets of mild flounder that had been seasoned and topped with a touch of fresh dill. And to finish the dish off? A few briny fried capers for a touch of crunch and an extra ‘pop’ of salty flavor.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Baked Flounder with Walnut Romesco & Fried Capers
Ingredients:
- (4) flounder fillets, skin removed
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- For the Romesco sauce:
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 roasted red pepper, cut into pieces (if using jarred roasted red peppers, about 1 cup of roasted peppers without the juice is fine*)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces, raw
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- For the fried capers:
- 2 Tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with olive oil spray. Arrange the fish on the prepared baking sheet; season each with a pinch of salt and pepper, and divide the fresh dill amongst the fish as well. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until flaky and cooked to your liking.
- To make the Romesco sauce, place all of its ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- For the fried capers, heat the tablespoon of oil and the drained capers in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes, or until hot and lightly browned. Drain the capers and allow to cool for a minute before serving.
- Arrange the fish on your serving plates, top with some of the sauce and a few fried capers.
Tagged: almonds, baked fish, baked flounder, capers, fish, fish with Romesco sauce, flounder, fresh dill, fried capers, Parmesan cheese, roasted red peppers, Romesco, Romesco sauce, sherry vinegar, walnuts
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