ROMESCO SAUCE

Makes 1 cup

• 1 red bell pepper (8 oz.)

• 4 tbsp. plus 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1/4 c. sliced almonds (3/4 oz.)

• 1 thick slice country bread (1 oz.)

• 3/4 tsp. salt

• 1 small tomato (31/2 oz.)

• 1 tsp. paprika

• 1 tsp. smoked paprika

• 1 tsp. sherry vinegar

• Freshly cracked black pepper

• Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Halve the pepper and remove seeds. Place cut-side down in a small baking pan, rub with a little oil and roast until the skin has blackened and the flesh is soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Peel and reserve.

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic cloves and cook, turning often, until browned in spots; remove, leaving the oil in the pan.

Add the almonds to the oil, salt lightly and roast until golden brown, stirring often; remove, leaving the oil in the pan.

Add the torn chunks of bread, salt lightly, and toast in the pan until golden brown and crisp all the way through, stirring often. (You may add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil now if needed.) When thoroughly toasted, remove from the heat.

Stick the tomato with a fork through the stem end and hold over a gas flame until the skin blackens and bursts, about 1 minute, turning often. Peel the tomato. (If you don't have a gas stove, dip the tomato in boiling water for 30 seconds and then peel.)

Place the garlic cloves and what remains of the 3/4 teaspoon salt into a large marble or granite mortar and pound to a paste. Add the roasted pepper and pound until no large pieces remain.

Add the almonds, both paprikas and the bread and pound until combined and thick. Add the tomato and pound until combined.

Add the remaining olive oil, vinegar, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste and pound until you have a purée.

This will keep a week in the refrigerator if the surface is covered with olive oil.

HAZELNUT PRALINE

Makes about 1/2 cup.

• 1/2 c. hazelnuts (2 oz.)

• 1/3 c. sugar

• 1/8 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the hazelnuts in a small baking pan for 20 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Place hazelnuts in the middle of a large clean kitchen towel, gather up the sides to enclose and rub to loosen skins. (They probably won't all come off, which is OK.)

Heat the sugar in a cast-iron (or heavy-bottomed) skillet slowly, over medium heat, until it gradually turns to caramel. Tilt the pan now and then to allow the granulated sugar to come in contact with the caramelized sugar.

When the sugar is at least 90 percent caramelized (if it is getting too dark, remove it from the heat), add the nuts. Stir to combine, then pour out onto a buttered paper or silicone pad. Cool.

Break the praline into chunks and pound in the mortar until crushed. Add the salt and keep pounding until you have a sticky purée.

Pound until oil begins to seep from the purée and pool at the edges. Add olive oil and keep pounding until you have a soft purée. The total pounding time will be about 10 minutes, but I found that if I took breaks from pounding and let it sit, the mixture came together more easily.

CHIMICHURRI

Makes 2/3 cup.

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained

• 3/8 tsp. salt

• 20 turns black pepper

• 1/2 packed cup parsley leaves

• 1/2 packed cup oregano

• 4 tsp. red wine vinegar

• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

• 6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 tbsp. water

Directions

Into a large marble or granite mortar, put the garlic cloves, capers, salt and pepper. Pound until smooth. Add the parsley leaves and pound until crushed. Add the oregano and pound until both herbs are puréed finely.

Add the red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and olive oil and muddle until combined. Add the water and stir to combine. Transfer sauce to a dish for serving.

Store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

AIOLI

Makes 1 cup

• 1 egg

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 3 tsp. lemon juice

• 1/2 c. olive oil

• 1/2 c. canola oil

Directions

Heat a small pan of water to boiling and add the egg. Boil 2 minutes and then immerse the egg into icy water until cool. Crack and remove just the yolk. Reserve.

In a large mortar, crush the garlic cloves with the salt until puréed. Add the yolk and pound to combine.

Mix the olive and canola oils and add drop by drop, pounding to keep a smooth emulsified sauce. As it gets thick, add the lemon juice in a drizzle.

Keep adding oil until all has been incorporated. It will be thick like mayonnaise. Add a little water if it gets too thick. Use immediately or refrigerate.