Name: Red Snapper Baked in Salt with Romesco Sauce
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients: 3 large plum tomatoes; 2 large red bell peppers; 1 medium onion (unpeeled); 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1 dried ancho chile*; 1/2 cup sliced almonds; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 3 garlic cloves; 2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar; 1 slice wheat bread, toasted, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1/2 cup); 1 teaspoon pimentón or other imported sweet paprika (see note below); 2 2-pound whole red snappers; 6 pounds coarse kosher salt; 3 cups water

Red Snapper Baked in Salt with Romesco SauceNoel Barnhurst

The salt creates a seal around the fish, which preserves its moisture and pure flavors. Romesco is a classic sauce from the Catalonia region. For cooking the fish, use two 13x9x2-inch metal baking pans.

Chef's note:

Chef José Andrés says that comparing pimentón, a Spanish smoked paprika, to the supermarket variety is like "comparing it to red powder." Pimentón is the sweetly smoky flavor in everything from chorizo sausage to paella. Look for dulce (sweet) and de la Vera on the label. Peppers from the La Vera region are always smoke-dried; in other regions they are sun-dried.

Recipe notes

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