Calcots are a type of green onion grown in the Catalonia region of Spain. Calcots are milder than a regular green onion and are usually larger. They are planted in trenches like onions are, and farmers increase the depth of the soil around the stem throughout autumn and winter. This is why they have a much larger white portion of the onion when picked.
Catalonians celebrate the harvest from January through March, when they start grilling this wonderful onion. Traditionally, calcots are tightly packed in a single layer on an outdoor barbecue with high flames. Once they are charred they are removed and wrapped in newspapers for their stems to become tender. Once tender, they are removed from the paper and served in a dish. This is when the fun begins!
Eating calcots is a messy process, but well worth it. First, gently slide off the outer layer of the charred onion and then dredge the white part of the onion in the sauce. Eat only the white part, discard the top and repeat! You can make this dish with regular green onions if you cannot get calcots.
Salbitxada Sauce Ingredients:
- 12 ripe tomatoes
- 4 dried, round red peppers
- 2 ounces (55 g) roasted almonds
- 7 cloves garlic
- 1 sprig of mint
- 8 ounces (225 g) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 slices bread
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) sherry vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Salbitxada Sauce Preparation:
- Soak dry red pepper in warm water for a half-hour.
- Grill tomatoes and garlic over coals or roast in oven.
- In a blender or food processor, crush garlic with mint, almonds, seeded red pepper and bread soaked in vinegar.
- Once a paste has formed, add tomatoes and continue blending until a fine sauce is created.
- Gradually add oil.
- Salt and pepper, to taste.
Questions?
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