Recipes

Grilled Leeks with Fire Roasted Romesco Sauce

Par-boiling leeks reduces their grilling time to less than 10 minutes. Once softened and lightly charred on the grill, they are truly elevated when served with romesco—the sweet, creamy Spanish sauce made from almonds and fire roasted tomatoes, and red bell peppers.

By Stephanie Banyas, Culinary Experience Manager
Serves 4 to 6
Image of Grilled Leeks with Fire Roasted Romesco Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients

Leeks

  • Grilled Leeks
  • 6 large leeks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fire Roasted Romesco

  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 3 plum tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ¾ cup blanched almonds
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup packed flat leaf parsley leaves
Directions

Preheat your grill for direct grilling at 450-500 degrees.  

Brush the pepper and tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper.   Place the vegetables on the grates of the grill and cook until, turning a few times with tongs, until charred on all sides and softened, about 7 minutes for the tomatoes and 15 minutes for the peppers.  Transfer both to a bowl, cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes.  Remove the charred skin and seeds from both and transfer both to a food processor.  

Add the garlic, almonds, paprika and red pepper flakes and pulse a few times to combine. Add the remaining olive oil and vinegar and process until smooth.  Add the parsley and pulse a few times just to incorporate into the sauce. The sauce can be made up to 48 hours in advance and stored, covered in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before using.