Calcot Onions, Nettle Pesto, N’duja
Grilled Calcot Onions traditionally they’re found around Catalonia grilled until completely black and then hiding within their burnt skin is a super sweet lightly steamed onion served on newspaper then dipped in an almond red pepper sauce similar to a romesco. If you don’t can’t get your hands on these onions you could swap them for baby leeks.
Ingredients | Serves 4
Calcot Onions
Handful Nettles / Basil
Small Handful Pine nuts
4 tbsp EV Olive Oil
1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar
Enough Parmesan
Pinch Salt
1 tbsp N’duja, the squishy one
Method
Lightly BBQ the onions or leeks until entirely black; make sure to turn frequently. Once they are cooked, remove them and cover them with a tea towel
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and lightly toast the pine nuts, then crush in a pestle and mortar.
If using nettles, make sure to use gloves and pick off the leaves, blanch the leaves (not necessary for basil), then crush with the pinenuts
Stir through the rest of the olive oil, sherry vinegar, parmesan and taste. Add salt to your taste.
Heat a frying pan and add n’duja and allow to cook down until saucy
Peel the onions and slice into bite-size pieces and serve with pesto and n’duja
GRO | Plant | Prep | Plop
Plant - In between a leek and a spring onion with a much sweeter flavour
Prep - A great way of adding smokey flavours to veggies is bbq them whole and peel the outside layers to reveal the perfect sweet lighty smokey centre. Do this for leeks, baby onions and peppers
Plop - Calcot onions contain some vitamin C, vitamin B6, calcium, manganese, flavonoids, and potassium. Like its relatives onion and garlic, calçot is rich in sulfur compounds, which give it its antibacterial, circulatory and diuretic properties.
