Spanish Gastronomic Day: Calçots

Day 2,791, 12:26 • Published in Australia Spain • by viyoman

Calçot (Catalan pronunciation: [kəɫˈsɔt]) is a type of scallion or green onion known as blanca gran tardana in the Catalan language fromLleida, Catalonia. The calçot from Valls (Tarragona, Catalonia) is a registered EU Protected Geographical Indication.[1]
Calçots are milder and less bulbous than onions and have a length of between 15 and 25 cm (white part) and a diameter of 1.7 to 2.5 cm at the root. Planted in trenches, like an onion, as a single bulb, and successively increasing the depth of the soil around the stems throughout autumn and winter, they sprout into 4-10 shoots, roughly the shape of small leeks.
Calçotada is an annual event in Tarragona, Catalonia celebrating the harvest of Calçot. It is grilled on high fire, wrapped up in newspaper, served on terra cotta tiles and eaten after peeling with bare hands by dipping one by one in romesco sauce along with an accompaniment of red wine and bread. It is followed by roasted lamb meat and sausage and white beans, For desert oranges and white cava.




RECIPE


The Calçots

1 bunch spring onions

This recipe has to be done on the grill to capture the heat and the natural smokiness of the charcoal. By wrapping the onions in the newspaper, and keeping them close to the fire, you keep cooking their hearts to produce a deliciously soft result that is easy to pull out of its burnt outer layers.

Take the spring onions and place them on a very hot charcoal grill. Cook them until the outer edges become slightly burned. After 6 to 8 minutes, remove them from the grill and wrap them in newspaper. Place them close to the fire in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Eat as follows: Smash the bottom of the onion on your plate and remove the heart from the burnt outer skin by pulling from the top of the spring onion. Dip the white base in the romesco sauce.




The Romesco

1 red bell pepper
6 plum tomatoes
1 head garlic, halved
1 Spanish onion
3 ñora chili peppers (or any other dried sweet chili pepper)
½ cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup almonds
1 slice white bread
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon pimentón (Spanish sweet paprika)
Salt to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium roasting pan, brush a thin film of olive oil (from the ½ cup) over the pepper, tomatoes, garlic, and Spanish onion. Roast 40 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing the skins of the pepper, tomatoes, garlic, and onion. Seed the pepper and tomatoes.

While the vegetables are roasting, place the ñora chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak 15 minutes. Strain, slice open, and carefully remove the seeds. Place in blender and purée until smooth. Pass through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a small frying pan, over a low flame. Add the almonds and sauté until light brown, about one minute. Remove the almonds and set aside.

Raise heat to medium and add the bread to the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side until nicely browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the puréed chiles to the oil and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Place the roasted vegetables in a blender, along with the almonds, bread, chile puree, vinegar, pimentón, and the remaining oil. Blend into a thick sauce and salt to taste. Transfer to a bowl and serve.




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