CHARRED HISPI CABBAGE WITH ROMESCO AND CRISPY SHALLOTS

I’ve not had a better romesco than the one developed by Sam and Sam Clark at Moro. We have adjusted this slightly over the years, but it’s only right they take some credit for this one. I don’t like making this unless I have some ñora peppers – you will find them at fancy delis and online. These small, round Spanish peppers are what make the romesco rich and earthy. However, if you can’t find them then omit from the recipe. You will see romesco on every London menu board served with grilled calçots (a type of big Spanish spring onion/scallion) each winter and it has many other uses, but our favourite way by far is to eat it with charred hispi cabbage as a sandwich. You will need a food processor for this recipe. Serves 3–4

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Step 1

For the romesco, start by soaking the ñoras in enough hot water so they are completely submerged, leaving them for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

Step 2

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F. Place all the tomatoes, the garlic and half the soaked ñoras (remove them from the soaking liquid, but leave the rest soaking) in a roasting tray small enough for the ingredients to fit snugly. Season generously and pour over the oil, ensuring that everything is coated with the oil (add more oil if need be; the ñoras must be covered in the oil or they go crispy).

Step 3

Roast for 30 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven and lower the temperature to 170°C/150°C fan/340°F. Add the hazelnuts and almonds, mixing them with the oil, and put back in the oven for a further 15 minutes until the nuts have developed a lovely golden colour. Leave to cool, covered, for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.

Step 4

Drain the ingredients, keeping the oil (you can reuse this) and set aside.

Step 5

Using 2–3 tablespoons of the retained oil, fry the pieces of stale bread in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat until browned, then remove from the heat and drain. When the pieces of bread are cool, smash them up into crumbs using a rolling pin.

Step 6

In a food processor, blitz the remaining soaked ñoras along with the soaking liquid, then add in the drained ingredients and blitz until creamy, discarding any dark, crisp edges of the ñoras. Transfer to a big mixing bowl.

Step 7

Stir in the vinegars and paprikas and season to taste. The oil left from roasting will have some delicious cooking juices at the bottom, so give it all good whisk with a fork and add a tablespoon or so to make the romesco creamy and silky. I like it the consistency of crème fraîche. Stir through the bashed breadcrumbs and a handful of additional toasted and chopped nuts if you like it with a bit of crunch. I do.

Step 8

If you fancy, the romesco can also be mixed with aioli to make a slutty sauce for any non-vegan sandwich.

Step 9

Strip the outer leaves off the cabbage and, depending on size, cut each cabbage lengthways into thirds or quarters, from the core all the way to the tip.

Step 10

Place a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat, liberally season the cabbage pieces and drizzle with olive oil, using your hands to coat the whole outer sides. Once the pan is hot, place the pieces cut side down and leave until charred, a nice caramelized brown. Repeat with the other sides.

Step 11

Toast the focaccia halves on the inside in the hot pan until just browned.

Step 12

Dress the cabbage with a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with a generous amount of romesco, finished with crispy shallots, with the focaccia on the side, or as a sandwich.