Yellow Pepper & Pistachio Romesco Sauce

Our first Spot Prawn Saturday of the season came together nicely — I was excited to find yellow peppers grown here in BC — then there was Washington State Asparagus, Watercress & Cilantro from Vancouver Island, BC Hothouse Tomatoes and Medicine Beach Market Sourdough Rolls.

The stars of the meal were the Fresh (caught mere hours earlier) Ouzo Steamed BC Spot Prawns — sweet, meaty & HUGE.  But where there’s seafood there should always be a dip, so I made this Yellow Pepper Romesco to act accordingly.

A rich and delicious vegan condiment.  The pistachios and cumin lend a more North African flavour here, as compared to the Spanish Red Pepper Romesco I made a few weeks back.

A great match with grilled meats & tofu, poached/steamed fish & seafood, as well as roasted potatoes.  I mixed it with equal parts of mayonnaise to make a creamy dip for our prawns.  (You could also mix it with sour cream for an awesome baked potato topper.)

Yellow Pepper Romesco
About 2 Cups

Yellow Pepper	1 med
Raw Pistachios, shelled, unsalted	¼ C	60 ml
Country style white bread	1 slice
Olive Oil	2 T	30 ml
Yellow Tomato, cored & seeded	1 med
Garlic, halved	1 clove
Cilantro, chopped	2 T	30 ml
Ground Cumin	1 t	5 ml
Olive Oil	1/3 C	80 ml
Apple Cider Vinegar	2 t	10 ml
Fresh Red Chili, minced	½ med

C=cup               T=tablespoon             t=teaspoon
ml=millilitres

Broil the yellow pepper on a baking sheet, turning several times, until the skin is charred (about 20 min).  Remove from the oven and enclose the pepper in a closed paper bag until cool enough to handle.  Peel and remove seeds; set aside.

Toast the pistachios on a baking sheet @ 350 F until light golden and fragrant (about 5 min).

In a small frypan, heat the 2 T olive oil over med heat.  Fry bread until golden, turning once (about 3 min).  Allow bread to cool.

Combine the nuts, garlic and bread in a food processor.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Add tomato, cilantro, cumin, roasted pepper and s+p; process until smooth.  With machine running, gradually pour in vinegar and then the 1/3 cup olive oil.  Remove to a bowl and stir in minced red chili.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve at room temperature.  Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I didn’t have a yellow tomato, so I had to use a red one — my romesco was a little on the orange side…tasty, but I really wanted a more of a yellow colour.  Don`t repeat my mistake — buy a yellow tomato!