Prawns with Romesco Sauce

Ingredients

• 1red pepper, halved and deseeded
• 3 clovegarlic, large, whole
• 1red chilli, large
• 1tomato, large
• 10hazelnuts, shelled, toasted and roughly chopped
• 10almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
• 3 sprigparsley, leaves only
• 1crusty bread, slice, torn up
• 120 mlolive oil, 3 tbsp for frying; remainder for blending
• 2 tbspred wine vinegar
• 400 gtiger prawns, peeled, to serve
• salt

Method

1. 1

   Halve the pepper lengthways and remove seeds and stalk. Line a grill pan with foil and place the pepper halves (skin-side up), whole garlic cloves, chilli and tomato on it. Grill for 2 minutes, turn the tomato, then grill for 2 more minutes. Remove the tomato, peel, quarter, deseed and roughly chop.

2. 2

   Continue grilling the pepper, chilli and garlic for 4–5 minutes until the pepper and chilli skins are blackened and the garlic is starting to soften. Once cool, peel and halve the chilli, scrape out and discard the seeds. Peel the pepper and roughly chop both.

3. 3

   Spread the nuts on foil and grill until toasted. Finely chop the nuts and parsley in a food processor. Tip into a bowl.

4. 4

   Heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the pepper, garlic and chilli and fry for 3 minutes. Add the torn bread and turn in the oil until lightly browned.

5. 5

   Pulse the bread and pepper mixture in a food processor with the chopped tomatoes, salt, red wine vinegar and remaining oil until roughly combined. Tip into a bowl. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

6. 6

   On the day of serving, stir the toasted nuts and parsley into the sauce. Serve in a small bowl alongside the peeled prawns with cocktail sticks for spearing.