Prawns with Romesco sauce

Step 1: Begin by preparing your vegetables. Halve the red pepper lengthways and carefully remove the seeds and stalk. Line a grill pan with foil for easy cleanup and arrange the pepper halves skin side up. Add the whole garlic cloves, the whole red chilli, and the large tomato to the grill pan. Place under a hot grill and cook for 2 minutes, then turn the tomato to ensure even charring. Grill for another 2 minutes until the tomato skin blisters. Remove the tomato with a large spoon; once cooled, peel away the skin, quarter the tomato, and discard the seeds. Chop the tomato roughly to maintain a rustic texture. Step 2: Continue grilling the pepper, chilli, and garlic for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until the skins of the pepper and chilli are blackened and blistered. You’ll notice the garlic skin start to split — this means it’s soft and ready. Once cool enough to handle, peel the skin off the pepper and chilli. Halve the chilli and scrape out the seeds to reduce heat. Roughly chop both the pepper and chilli, keeping a nice rustic consistency. Step 3: While the vegetables cool, toast the nuts directly on the foil-lined grill. Scatter the hazelnuts and almonds evenly and watch carefully until they are golden and fragrant—this brings out their rich, nutty flavor. Finely chop the toasted nuts together with fresh parsley in a food processor until combined but not too smooth. Transfer this mixture to a small bowl and set aside. Step 4: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped pepper, garlic, and chilli, frying gently for 3 minutes to marry the flavors and soften the ingredients further. Tear the sliced bread into pieces and add them to the pan, turning them in the oil until they become lightly browned and crisp. Transfer the mixture to a food processor, add the chopped tomatoes, a generous pinch of salt, red wine vinegar, and some more olive oil. Pulse the processor until the mixture is coarsely chopped, preserving a hearty texture. Pour the sauce into a bowl and leave it to cool completely. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days, allowing the flavors to mature. Step 5: When ready to serve, fold the toasted nut and parsley mixture into the cooled Romesco sauce for a final burst of texture and freshness. Serve the sauce in a small bowl placed on a plate alongside peeled tiger prawns. Provide cocktail sticks for guests to spear the prawns easily. This tactic makes for a fun and interactive dining experience, perfect for entertaining.