Tender spring onions with charred romesco

Method

• step 1

  Heat the barbecue or a grill pan to high. Cook the romano peppers, tomato and garlic until the skins are blistered and charred and the flesh is tender, about 8 minutes. If the grill is too wide and the garlic will fall through the grate, wrap them in foil and cook for a few minutes longer. Leave to cool for a minute, remove the skins from everything, and roughly chop.

• step 2

  Tip the walnuts and almonds into a sheet of foil in one layer. Scrunch up the sides and put onto the barbecue for 2-4 minutes until golden and toasted. Alternatively, put straight onto a grill pan. Toast the bread on the grill until lightly charred, then tear into chunks.

• step 3

  Tip the chopped pepper, tomato and garlic into a food processor. Add the toasted nuts, sourdough, vinegar, both paprikas and piquillo peppers. Blend until roughly chopped. Season really well. Drizzle in the oil and pulse again until combined. Tip into a bowl.

• step 4

  Brush the onions with a little oil and cook them on the grill, or griddle until tender and charred, about 20-30 minutes. Don’t worry if they colour a lot, you want them to be very soft in the middle. Once charred, wrap in foil, to rest, for 15 minutes. They will continue to steam and soften in the foil.

• step 5

  To serve, remove the very charred, burnt layer on the outside of the onions, season with a little salt, and serve with small pots of romesco.