Spanish · appetizer

Calçots amb Romesco

Name: Calçots amb Romesco
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 24 calçots (young spring onions); 4 dried ñora peppers, soaked; 2 roasted tomatoes; 4 cloves garlic; 1/4 cup toasted almonds; 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted; 1 slice stale bread, toasted; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp sherry vinegar; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; salt to taste

Calçots amb Romesco reads nutty 6.4, richness 4.3 and sweetness 3.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Spanish appetizer, about 45 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 3.0 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.5 / 10
Sour & Bright — 2.8 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 3.3 / 10
Rich & Fat — 7.7 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Nutty 6.4 · Richness 4.3 · Sweetness 3.8 · Heat 3.4 · Allium 3.4 · Smoke 2.6 · Sourness 2.6 · Salinity 2.6 · Umami 2.5 · Earthy 2.4 · Bitterness 2.1 · Fruity 2.1 · Herbaceous 2.1 · Warm Spice 1.8 · Funk & Ferment 1.7 · Floral 1.6 · Citrus 0.6

What's in it (11)

24 calçots (young spring onions)
4 dried ñora peppers, soaked
2 roasted tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1 slice stale bread, toasted
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
salt to taste

Time & effort: about 45 min (20 min active) · effort: easy

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 107.7 kcal, 3.4 g protein, 4.3 g fat, 15.2 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Grill whole calçots over a very hot open fire or charcoal until completely blackened on the outside, then wrap in newspaper and let steam for 15 minutes.
Make romesco by blending soaked ñora peppers, roasted tomatoes, garlic, nuts, and bread with oil and vinegar until thick and rust-colored.
Peel away the charred outer layer of each calçot and dip the tender white interior generously into the romesco.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Moroccan Chickpea Stew With Quinoa — Moroccan
Beans Poriyal (Dry Green Beans with Coconut) — Indian · Tamil Nadu
Mchicha (Amaranth Greens in Coconut Milk) — Tanzanian
Mole Poblano — Mexican
Ifisashi — Zambian

Keep reading: what nutty, richness, sweetness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.