Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serving size: 3-4 people
Oven temperature: 200°C (fan)
INGREDIENTS
2 red peppers
2 salad tomatoes
20g toasted blanched/flaked almonds
6 cloves slow-roasted garlic (or 1 clove crushed)
½ tsp tomato puree
¼ tsp smoked paprika (normal paprika is also a good option)
1 tsp vinegar
¼ tsp salt
black pepper
6-8 chicken thighs
METHOD
1.) Roast the red peppers and tomatoes in the oven at 200°C (fan) for 35 minutes. The skin should be blackened which will help to impart the smokey flavour. I have attached an image below for reference.
2.) At the same time cook the garlic parcel. To make the garlic parcel, cut the top off of a bulb of garlic, lightly drizzle it with a neutral oil and wrap it in foil. The parcel should cook in the oven for 45 minutes (35 minutes at 200°C (fan) and then 10 minutes at 180°C (fan)) . Roasting the garlic brings out a soft sweetness which really makes this sauce special but if you're short on time or prefer a sharper Romesco, you can simply add 1 crushed clove of garlic instead if doing this step.
3.) Remove the peppers and tomatoes from the oven and immediately place it in a bowl and cover it with cling film. The steam trapped in the bowl will make it much easier to remove the skin once cooled. Once you have removed the peppers, reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (fan) and continue to cook the garlic parcel in the oven.
4.) Whilst the garlic is cooking, toast the almonds in the oven. Make sure to keep an eye on them so that they don't burn. Blanched almonds take 5 minutes to toast in a 180°C (fan) oven, flaked almonds will be even shorter!
5.) Once the peppers and tomatoes have cooled, gently remove the skin from the flesh. Remove the stalk and seeds of the pepper place only the flesh in a blender. The tomato seeds do not have to be removed.
6.) Squeeze the flesh of six garlic cloves out of their roasted casing and add to the blender. I know this seems like a lot of garlic but the flavour is a lot more subtle after being roasted. Start with 4 cloves and add 2 more if needed if you are hesitant.
7.) Add the remaining ingredients for the Romesco sauce to the blender: 20g toasted almonds, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp tomato purée, ¼ tsp salt and pepper. (Steps 1-7 can all be done ahead of time).
8.) Lightly oil and season the chicken thighs and cook them in the oven (on a baking sheet) at 180°C (fan) for 25 minutes. The skin should be nice and golden brown the juices from the chicken should run clear (i.e. not be pink, this is how you know that the chicken is cooked).
9.) Heat the Romesco sauce in a pan and add the chicken, skin-side up and cook for 3-4 minutes so that the chicken absorbs some of that smokey Romesco flavour.
9.) Serve the chicken with rice and roasted vegetables.
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