I anticipate this post causing some controversy. I imagine my Spanish readers saying “what’s the point? Just use calçots ... and that sauce ain’t right”. Well this post is not for you, privileged ones who know and love the yearly tradition of the calçotada.
This post is for the select few who have travelled to Barcelona at just the right time of year to enjoy these sweet, tender, smoky green onions and then had to return to their dull, sad, tender onion-free existence in whatever country you came from. Tears and violins.
No more! Here’s the solution for you: leeks! Yay!
Let’s back up and explain a little about the calçotada for the uninitiated. Calçots are a type of onion, bigger than a green onion but smaller than a leek, which are in season at the end of winter. They’re put on the barbeque until charred, wrapped in newspaper to steam and cool, then you slip the charred outer layer off with your hands and dip them in a special sauce.
Basically, it’s a huge mess. Your hands turn black and the sauce drips down your chin. But it’s a great excuse to get together with friends and drink a lot (like we needed another excuse).
Here's a terribly unfocused picture of a real calçotada from our trip to La Rioja last spring:
Although calçots aren't readily available in other countries or in the summer, it turns out that leeks make a great substitute and you can roast them in the oven with basically the same flavour as a barbequed calçot.
The first time I tried calçots I thought they were good, but it was really the sauce that gave made them so interesting. So what’s up with the sauce? Generically it’s known as romesco sauce, but I was informed by my Catalan husband (repeatedly and annoyingly) that it’s not exactly the same as salsa calçots. Although from my research, they both have exactly the same ingredients.
The difference would be that salsa calçots is a little thinner in order to dip more easily. The sauce recipe I’ve got below is a basic romesco, which you can adjust to the consistency that you like with more or less oil.
Apparently my husband thought the romesco sauce was good as he was eating it by the spoonful in the kitchen while I was taking these pictures. He also conceded that the leeks were not super sacrilegious so, Spanish people, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! Roasted leeks are sweet and tender. Served with authentic Spanish romesco sauce for a delicious appetizer or side dish.
Leek Calçotada with Romesco Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 2 leeks
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 380Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 370mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 7g
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