Add Smokiness To Your Fish Sandwich With One Spanish Sauce

There are lots of great underrated toppings to add to fish sandwiches, from sweet and spicy hot honey to rich, buttery hollandaise. But if you've not tried the Catalan smoky sauce romesco, then you're missing out on a particularly punchy culinary combo. Given that the Mediterranean sauce is said to have been originally created by fishermen, it's perhaps not especially surprising that homemade romesco goes brilliantly with crispy fish.

The sauce gets its full flavor and vibrant color from things like dried Spanish ñora pepper or sweet roasted red bell peppers, savory garlic, smoky paprika, and toasted nuts. Chili powder or red pepper flakes bring the heat while sherry vinegar adds a sharp edge, making the finished sauce deliciously rich and complex. Adding stale bread before blitzing the sauce gives it its signature thickness, making it the ideal consistency for spooning onto fish sandwiches without causing any sogginess.

It's important to choose the right kind of fish for fried fillet sandwiches, so go for a flaky white fish that is mild-tasting enough to not clash with the pungent red sauce. And it's not just fish sandwiches that can be enhanced with the smoky sauce. Homemade romesco will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days, so if you've made a batch, it's easy to incorporate it into a number of different fishy dishes.

To elevate everyday fish dishes with piquant romesco, try simply spooning the smoky sauce over baked cod or halibut fillets for an easy yet elegant midweek meal. Or to really amp up the savory flavor, add an umami-rich parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano crust to the fish before baking – the ingredients work beautifully with romesco, and you could easily switch cod for meaty monkfish or hake.

To celebrate the rich nutty flavor of romesco, add an extra-nutty element to your fish, too. Spooning over a crunchy crust of crushed almonds, lemon zest, and parsley for the final minutes of cooking boosts the texture as well as the taste — brush the white fish with mustard to help the crumbs stick better. The Spanish sauce would work well with a simple Dijon-crusted salmon fillet recipe, too. In addition to serving your chosen fish with romesco, finish it with a drizzle of flavorful homemade nutty dressing, too. Include ingredients such as toasted flaked almonds, salty olives, and briny anchovies to really bring out all the smoky flavors of the sauce.

Romesco doesn't have to be served as a separate sauce with fish — it also works brilliantly when added during the cooking process to give extra depth and complexity. Try stirring it into a hearty fish and seafood stew before baking it. Or add some to fish stock before simmering shellfish for a rich, rounded taste.