A little heat from Spain: imported paprikas make a delicious, all-purpose sauce - Guide; recipe

Sunset, Sept, 2003 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

Paprika is commonly used for its ruddy color rather than for its taste. Now, however, intensely flavored varieties from Spain are arriving in markets here. Their effect on dishes goes beyond cosmetic: They impart distinct flavors, from sweet to hot to smoky.

The velvety red powder, made from finely ground dried peppers, mirrors the character of the pepper used. The drying method also affects the paprika's flavor. Peppers dried in the sun maintain a pure, natural essence; those dried over a wood fire take on complex, smoky overtones. Choose a paprika from our guide at right to make classic Spanish romesco sauce. It's a wonderful accompaniment to a wide range of foods; we love it on pork chops. You can also use Spanish paprikas as you would generic paprika, but expect more intense flavor.

Spanish paprikas are available at specialty markets and from Spanish Table (www.tablespan.com; Berkeley, 510/548-1383; Santa Fe, 505/986-0243; Seattle, 206/682-2827) and Tienda (www.tienda.com or 888/ 472-1022).

Romesco Sauce

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 20 minutes

NOTES: Linda Carucci, a cooking teacher, chef,
and culinary consultant (www.lckitchen.com) from
Oakland, California, makes this sauce with a
Spanish smoked sweet paprika and cayenne.
Taste sauce before adding the cayenne to see if
you want more heat. You can use regular
paprika, but its flavor won't be as distinctive. You
can make the sauce up to 2 days ahead; cover
and chill. Alternately, freeze it up to 1 month.

MAKES: About 2 1/2 cups

  1 cup slivered almonds (4 oz.)
  4 ounces Italian or sweet French bread
  1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves,
    rinsed and drained
  1 jar (7 1/4 oz.) or 1 cup peeled roasted
    red peppers
  2 tablespoons tomato paste
  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    About 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
    or red wine vinegar
  2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
  2 tablespoons Spanish or other paprika
    (see notes)
  1 tablespoon minced garlic
    About 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
    About 1/3 cup clam juice
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    About 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (if using
    sweet paprika; see notes)

1. Spread almonds in a 10- by 15-inch baking
pan. Bake in a 350[degrees] regular or convection oven,
shaking pan occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10
minutes.

2. Trim crusts from bread; reserve for another
use or discard. Cut bread into 1-inch chunks;
you should have about 3 cups.

3. In a food processor, whirl nuts until finely
chopped. Add bread, basil, red peppers, tomato
paste, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons vinegar, brandy
(if desired), paprika, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt;
whirl until peppers are pureed.

4. With motor running, gradually add 1/3 cup
clam juice and whirl until incorporated, then
gradually add olive oil; process until smooth.
Taste, and add cayenne and more salt and vinegar
if desired. If thicker than desired, whirl in
a little more clam juice. Scrape into a bowl. Let
stand about 20 minutes for flavors to blend before
serving.

Per tablespoon: 61 cal., 80% (49 cal.) from fat; 1 g protein; 5.4 g
fat (0.7 g sat.); 3 g carbo (0.4 g fiber); 59 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Paprika guide

There are three types
of Spanish paprika
available--sweet, bittersweet,
and hot--and
each comes in sundried
and smoked
forms.

Sweet paprika
(pimenton dulce).
Earthy and mild.

Bittersweet paprika
(pimenton agridulce).
Rich, complex, and
slightly smoky.

Hot paprika (pimenton
picante). Medium-hot
but slightly sweet.

In our testing, we found
that the romescos
made with sun-dried
paprikas paired well
with light foods: raw
vegetables, grilled
green onions, roasted
potatoes, eggs,
shrimp, halibut, salmon,
chicken, and pork.

The versions made with
smoked paprikas, while
also good with the
above, tasted even better
with hearty, robust
fare: beef, lamb, and
grilled mushrooms. For
smoked paprika, look
for pimenton de La
Vera, made from peppers
grown in western

Spain.