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My friend, TJ, recently visited Spain, and while he was there, he attended calçotada, a vibrant green onion festival that draws thousands of visitors each spring to the Catalonia region. This festival is dedicated to the calçot, a small, flavorful green onion that's grilled over an open flame and served with a variety of dipping sauces. The festival’s lively atmosphere and delicious food make it a must-attend for anyone who loves great flavors and good company.
What Are Calçots?
Calçots are no ordinary green onions. Native to the Catalonia region, they are known for their unique taste and cooking method. Unlike regular onions, calçots are grown in a specific way, where they are repeatedly buried under soil to create a long, white stem. Once harvested, they are grilled until the outside is charred, revealing a tender, sweet interior with a hint of smokiness. Calçots are typically served in large bundles and eaten by peeling away the blackened skin, revealing the mild, soft onion inside, which is then dipped into sauces, most notably romesco.
The Calçotada Festival: A Tradition of Flavor
Every year, calçotada brings together locals and tourists in Catalonia to celebrate this cherished vegetable. The festival centers around grilling calçots, but it’s much more than just food. It’s a lively celebration of Catalan culture, where friends and families gather outdoors to enjoy the simple pleasure of eating together. The tradition of calçotada dates back over a century, and it has become an important event that signifies the arrival of spring. During the festival, people don aprons and bibs, ready to feast on grilled calçots and traditional dipping sauces.
Romesco Sauce With Calçots
Recipe Type:
Entree
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
45 minutes
Total Time:
70 minutes
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- Large bunch of calçots
For the Romesco Sauce
- 4 red peppers
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup hazelnuts
- ¼ cup almonds
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. harissa (hot chili sauce)
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
To Make the Sauce
- Preheat the grill and preheat the oven to 325º.
- Grill the red peppers until the skins are charred and black. Remove the peppers from the grill and place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Uncover and peel the skin off the peppers. Remove the seeds and rinse.
- In a small oven-proof dish, add the garlic. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and soft.
- In a dry saute pan, toast the hazelnuts and almonds until light brown.
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.
How to Cook the Calçots:
- To prepare the calçots (or green onions), start by cleaning them and trimming off any tough roots. Traditionally, calçots are charred on a grill over an open flame, but you can easily replicate this at home using a large, flat pan.
- Heat the pan over high heat, and once it’s hot, place the green onions in batches, allowing them to char on one side before turning them to ensure they’re charred evenly on all sides.
- Once charred, wrap the calçots in newspaper and let them rest for a few minutes to sweat, softening the outer layers.
- When ready to serve, place the calçots on a terracotta dish and offer the sauce alongside for dipping.
Pairing Grilled Calçots with Wine
Grilled calçots pair beautifully with a variety of wines, but we find that a smooth, fruit-forward Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Merlot complements the sweet, smoky flavors of the calçots perfectly. The wine’s rich fruit flavors and smooth tannins enhance the dish without overpowering it, making it an ideal match.
