Recipe Renovation.
Many years ago, restaurateur friends gave me a recipe for Romesco Sauce, a traditional Catalán (Spanish) sauce often used with fish. I posted it on Cocoa & Lavender when the blog was barely a month old. I think three people read the post; there were zero comments.
Since then, I have been to Spain twice and learned that my sauce was far from authentic. Romesco sauce has many iterations and, from what I learned, none of them are bell pepper-based, though they do include dried Nyora peppers. They are tomato-based. However, my version without tomatoes is very flavorful which counts for a lot, so I am reposting it with a new name.
I use piquillo peppers, though regular roasted red bell peppers can be used. In the current incarnation of my ever-evolving recipe, I also toast the almonds and use Sherry vinegar instead of red wine and/or balsamic vinegar. These few changes give my new version a very nice flavor.
I mostly serve this sauce with grilled fish or seafood, but it also makes a wonderful dip for my Papas Arrugadas alongside my Mojo Verde. I also like it with eggs, or as a condiment on a cheese board.
This week, when I served grilled halibut with this sauce, I accompanied the meal with a wonderful wine from Mirabeau en Provence. Their “X” cuvée was a lovely pairing, and you can read more about it on The Provence WineZine.
~ David
Grilled Halibut with Piquillo Pepper-Almond Sauce
To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 3 slices day-old bread, crusts removed (about 1 ounce)
- 1 shallot, minced and cooked in a little olive oil until clear
- 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 cups drained and chopped piquillo peppers (see Notes)
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Morton’s), plus extra
- 1/4 cup plus two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 six to eight-ounce halibut fillets, rinsed and dried (see Notes)
- a handful of micro greens (I used arugula)
Instructions
- Blanch the almonds in boiling water for 45 seconds, then drain. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the almond skins until they slip off. Toast nuts in a dry skillet until golden, then coarsely chop them and put them in a food processor fitted with the steel blade; process until very fine. (For this amount, it helps to have a mini-processor, but it’s not necessary.) Cube the bread and add to the food processor with the almonds, then add cooked shallot, pepper flakes, roasted piquillo peppers, vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and purée until smooth. Through the feed tube, with the processor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream as you would when making mayonnaise. The result will be a pinkish-orange pepper sauce. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
- Heat the grill to high for 5-10 minutes. While grill is heating, rub the halibut fillets with olive oil and then season with salt. When the barbecue is hot, oil the grates and grill the halibut approximately 3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Leave the fish undisturbed for at least 3 minutes so that it releases from the grill when you turn it.
- Spread a smear (about two tablespoons) of the romesco on each of four serving plates. Place cooked fillets on the Romesco and top with micro greens. Serve immediately.
- Serves 4, with a little leftover Romesco for another use.
- Notes:
- • if you cannot find piquillo peppers (sold in jars) you can use regular roasted red bell peppers, either jarred or freshly roasted (stemmed, peeled, and seeded).
- • ask your fish monger to make sure all the fillets are the same thickness for even grilling.
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Mad Dog
September 6, 2025 at 4:34 amThat sounds delicious and the colour and texture of the sauce looks perfect!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 6, 2025 at 8:39 amThanks, Mad Dog! And thank you for your comment on the wine post. As the recipe was given to me by friends who ran a tapas restaurant, I assumed it was pretty authentic… until I found out it wasn’t. I will need to try the authentic sauce with tomatoes and Nyora peppers sometime to see what I’m missing!
angiesrecipes
September 6, 2025 at 5:12 amThat looks like right out from a star restaurant, David. I am going to make my Romesco next time with piquillo peppers.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 6, 2025 at 8:45 amThanks, Angie! That’s such a kind compliment. I hope you like the sauce.
Mimi Rippee
September 6, 2025 at 5:53 amMmmmmm. Such a beautiful presentation! The sauce sounds delicious!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 6, 2025 at 8:46 amThanks, Mimi. It’s been a favorite for a long time.
Barb
September 6, 2025 at 7:22 amWhat a great sauce to pair with grilled fish! The color makes for a standout presentation and the sauce sounds delicious. The wine sounds excellent too!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 6, 2025 at 8:46 amI really did love the pairing of the wine and the fish/sauce, Barb. There was a really nice synergy between the two. Thanks for both your comments here and on the wine blog.
Fran @ G'day Souffle'
September 6, 2025 at 7:32 amYum! Nothing better than Romesco sauce to dress up a serving of fish. When I was in Spain, I made my Romesco sauce with dried Nora peppers rather than piquillo peppers (and I see why you therefore avoided using the name ‘Romesco’ to avoid any debate about authenticity)! I think piquillo peppers would give the sauce a smoother, slightly sweeter taste, which appeals to me.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 6, 2025 at 8:49 amThat is exactly my point, Fran. I have an upcoming post talking about the bastardization of traditional recipes. If you’re going to make changes, you should change the name of the recipe. I thought simply of calling it “orange sauce”, but decided that sounded a little too fruity! Someday, I will try the authentic recipe with the Nyora Peppers. But for now, this one works just fine for me!
FEL!X
September 6, 2025 at 7:52 amEven if I fresh, roasted and peeled peppers from may garden use, that might be an excellent preparation!. With fish or … any !!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 6, 2025 at 8:50 amWhen I can’t find piquillo peppers, Felix, I always use fresh-roasted red bell peppers. They work beautifully! They’re not quite as sweet as the piquillo peppers, but they are good.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
September 6, 2025 at 10:54 amWhat a delicious and flavourful sauce – and it elevates a simple dish to a new, elegant level. Beautifully styled.
David Scott Allen
September 6, 2025 at 2:40 pmThanks, Ben. I would love to try this with hake, which I imagine you get very fresh there. We can’t get it here in the desert.
Patricia Coyne-Johnson
September 6, 2025 at 12:11 pmLooks delicious! Thank you.
David Scott Allen
September 6, 2025 at 2:39 pmThanks, Patricia! I hope you are both well.
Ronit
September 6, 2025 at 12:47 pmIt is indeed a mystery, how Romesco sauce became known mostly as a pepper based sauce. I’ve had both versions, and I admit I do prefer the pepper based one – but I agree it should be given a different name. In any case, your version looks so tasty, and the fish is grilled to perfection! 🙂
David Scott Allen
September 6, 2025 at 2:42 pmI would love to know how this came about, too, Ronit! I have yet to try an authentic version — but I do know this one is really good, even with its new and very long name!
Jill
September 6, 2025 at 2:54 pmsounds delicious – have never tried making that sauce. Where in Tucson do you get your fish?
David Scott Allen
September 6, 2025 at 4:07 pmThanks, Jill. I get my fish at the farmers market (when White Cane Salmon is there — they leave for the summer), and at grocery stores like AJs and Whole Foods.
Eha Carr
September 6, 2025 at 3:05 pmYou truly should be a food designer – what a perfect photo again! Love Romesco sauce and your recipe is way more exciting than mine. Am so looking forwards to the post about which you are talking to Fran – as you may remember you are touching a sore point I have had for a long time . . . bestest . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
September 6, 2025 at 4:10 pmThanks Eha — the styling is a lot of fun for me. The post I mentioned will be October 11 — so you need only wait a month. 😉 Remond me why it’s a sore spot?
Eha Carr
September 6, 2025 at 4:40 pmDavid – I have forever minded people taking a well-known recipe like ‘gravlax’ or ‘beef stroganov’ or ‘ratatouille’ with classic ingredients cooked in a way it was originally designed, changing either method or what they use and STILL using the same name. So they have ‘improved’ the original and ‘know better’ ? Many of the changes may make a tastier dish, but, please > give it a new name or description! (True aside – my maternal grandmother knew Count Stroganov in St Peterburg in the 1890s and actually copied his French chef’s original recipe in his kitchens – so I get a bit ‘wild’ at the differences 🙂 🙂 🙂 !)
David Scott Allen
September 6, 2025 at 8:41 pmThis is exactly the point of my article. It infuriates me that people think they can improve on a classic. Yes, you are right — their new versions are often very good. But rename them, please. Today, I saw one of the most egregious offenders in the New York Times: tuna cacio e pepe. Seriously? First, fish and cheese together in Italy is anathema, though I know there are some exceptions for tinned fish. But that sounds awful to me. And their “tomato carbonara”? Anyway, I’m off my soapbox for the night — it’s bedtime!
Pauline McNee
September 7, 2025 at 2:53 amDavid I’ve never been offered or even had a Romesco or pepper based sauce in Queensland, or anywhere in fact with fish. I need to be the first. It sounds delicious and I would substitute the snapper fish here for halibut. I don’t think our halibut is very common. Lovely food styling as always. I enjoyed your interesting backstory to this post.
David Scott Allen
September 9, 2025 at 4:08 pmIt will be fun being the first! Snapper would work perfectly! I used to use grouper, too. Thanks for your kind words about the styling!
Shashi
September 10, 2025 at 2:08 amWow, that Piquillo Pepper-Almond Sauce sounds and looks absolutely delicious! And your halibut is grilled to perfection! Such a delicious dish! And, I need to also try that wine!
David Scott Allen
September 11, 2025 at 5:21 amThank you so much, Shashi — the sauce is quite special and works with so many different fish and seafood dishes.
Valentina
September 10, 2025 at 10:56 pmSuch a beautiful plate, David. Each element is lovely. I don’t think I’ve seen more perfect grill marks on halibut, and I love to garnish with micro greens — all sorts. I never pass up Piquillo peppers – at a market, or on a menu. I’d order your sauce in a heartbeat. 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
September 11, 2025 at 5:47 amThank you so much, Valentina — I have to be honest, this is the best grilling I have ever done. Fish is a weak pint for me and the grill, so I was thrilled to get such good grill marks! And the sauce? I love it so much. You are lucky to be in an area where piquillo peppers are readily available. I am so grateful for online ordering!
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
September 11, 2025 at 6:32 amWhat an elegant dish, David! And whatever you want to call it, the sauce sounds lovely. Definitely has Spanish inspired notes, authentic or not.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 11, 2025 at 8:05 amIt is definitely Spanish inspired, and I was so surprised to learn it wasn’t a romesco sauce. But it really doesn’t matter, Frank, because it is so good. Thanks for your kind words.
2pots2cook
September 14, 2025 at 3:24 amSuch a fancy look Davide! Accompanied with fish, it makes such an inviting light dinner!
David Scott Allen
September 15, 2025 at 3:48 amIt is a nice light dinner, Davorka — all it needs is a nice salad on the side.
Jeff the Chef
September 16, 2025 at 6:03 amWhat a fantastic dish! I’ve never grilled fish before. I don’t really do a lot of grilling. But I’d love to try this. I think the sauce sounds delicious!
David Scott Allen
September 16, 2025 at 7:19 amThanks, Jeff. If you don’t have a grill, you can always pan it. It would work just as well with the sauce. Thanks for your kind comment.
sherry
September 19, 2025 at 10:34 pmhow delicious does this sound David! I agree about changing the name of a dish if you make a lot of changes to an original recipe. That way, you don’t annoy anyone!:=)
Have a good weekend
cheers
Sherry
David Scott Allen
September 21, 2025 at 3:50 pmTrue, Sherry — and that way you have your OWN recipe!
Inger
October 7, 2025 at 10:20 amLooks delicious David. That sauce would really put the halibut over the top!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 9, 2025 at 6:14 amIt’s a very versatile Inger — I hope you get to try it soon!
Christina
November 15, 2025 at 11:38 amWonderful pairing with the halibut, David. I took a cooking class in Spain and made Romesco, love it! Never had it before then. Thanks for the recipe!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 16, 2025 at 6:27 amThank you, Cristina! I’m curious to know how different the recipe you learned is from the one I posted. Let me know if you have a moment.