salsa brava

This recipe is a hybrid between a typical brava sauce served with the Spanish patatas bravas and a romesco sauce, another Spanish sauce that combines tomato and almonds. I enjoy it on a variety of potato dishes but its smokey profile and subtle heat would pair well with fish, beef, or poultry.

salsa brava

• 2 red bell peppers, or ½ jar roasted red peppers

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• ½ c olive oil + 1 tsp, divided

• 1 tbs garlic, minced

• 1 tbs Spanish smoked paprika

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

• 2 tomatoes or 8-10 cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 2 tbs sherry vinegar

• Salt, to taste

procedure

1. If roasting your own red peppers: rub peppers with 1 tsp olive oil and broil on high, rotating until exteriors of peppers are blistered and black. Place in ziplock bag and seal. Set aside for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove seeds, ribs, and blackened skin.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine olive oil and onion and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and just starting to brown.

3. Stir in the paprika, tomatoes, and the roasted red peppers, cooking an additional two minutes. Turn off heat and add in the sherry vinegar and salt.

4. Transfer all contents to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding additional olive oil if needed until a smooth sauce is formed.

5. Serve with aioli or mayonnaise on the side or mixed in.