Recipe: how to make good calçot sauce

Calçots are a foodie favorite in Catalonia. Not only are they delicious, healthy, and traditional, but they’re also the centerpiece of a beloved ritual that takes place up and down the territory in the earliest months of the year. 

January to March is the time to eat calçots, long green onions that are typical of the Valls region in southern Catalonia, just north of the city of Tarragona. 

  

After the fire of vine shoots is lit and the calçots are barbecued to perfection, they are brought straight from the cooking station to diners’ tables at special social gatherings known as ‘calçotades’. 

Calçotades are typically messy and lighthearted affairs enjoyed with friends and family. Calçots are much more than just a food or a meal that you’d have on a regular evening for dinner, they’re a special date in the diary and usually a big day out. 

Beside the onions on the table, you’ll find one of the most important aspects of eating calçots - the special condiment that they’re dipped in. 

So, what goes into good calçot sauce? 

Calçot sauce ingredients

1 bell pepper

1 nyora pepper (small round pepper, normally sold dried

4 ripe tomatoes

Half a head of garlic

100g almonds

50ml olive oil

Instructions

Grill the peppers and tomatoes until they cook through, then mix them together to form a paste.

In a pestle and mortar, grind together the garlic, almost, olive oil, and salt. 

Combine the red vegetable paste with the ground ingredients and blend together with a blender or food processor until all ingredients emulsify and form a uniform bright orange-colored sauce.

Dip the barbecued calçots into the condiment and enjoy! 

Optional ingredients

As well as the base ingredients outlined above, there’s some room for experimentation, according to your tastes. 

Parsley is often found in the vegetable paste, and some ingredients even call for a couple of mint leaves although this would be less common. 

Use some hazelnuts instead of almonds if you have them at hand. 

When combining all ingredients, a splash of white wine vinegar can add a vibrant touch of acidity, while pinch of paprika can also add depth to the flavor also.