Recent travels to Spain have my taste buds primed to recreate the flavors here at home! Our Bay Area climate is similar to theirs, offering the opportunity to share the same flavors using our local bounty.
With most of our time spent in Barcelona, we enjoyed many Catalan dishes, especially on our trip to the Priorat wine region where I also spent a day cooking with Chef Alicia Juanpere Artigas of Catacurian. Alicia planned for us to prepare a luncheon feast at the splendid Clos de l’Obac winery in Gratallops. The main dish featured a lively combination of seafood, pork and beef, “Alicia’s Catxoflino”. 
Catxoflino is a traditional Ampurddan dish from Palafrugell, a town on Spain’s Costa Brava, and features mar i muntanya (sea and mountain/”surf and turf”), ingredients. Alicia’s version is complex and delicious – and it took several hands and a couple of hours to prepare its components. It included the fundamental component of Catalan cuisine – sofregit (aka sofrito in Spanish), a fish broth we made from local fish and shellfish, clams, crayfish, mussels, Ibérico pork spareribs and belly, tomatoes, wine and freshly made allioli. Check out a partial view of the ingredients Alicia laid out for her catxoflino. Oh. My. Goodness!
My recipe below is vastly simplified, but delivers familiar tastes found in Catalonia. It starts with a Romesco sauce, which originated in the Catalan city of Tarragona, and is prepared with roasted red peppers, almonds, tomato and plenty of garlic. There are a few precious weeks remaining for local tomatoes and red bell peppers; and new crop almonds are readily found at local farmers’ markets – so time to try this out! I am hoping Alicia will approve…
Catalan-Style Pork and Shrimp “Mar i Muntanya” (Sea and Mountain)
Adapted from España – Exploring the Flavors of Spain by James Campbell Caruso
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pork tenderloin, about 1-1/2 pounds; sinew removed and cut into 3/4-inch thick medallions
- 12 colossal shrimp, 15 count/pound; peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/ 4 cup extra virgin olive oil; plus 2 tablespoons more for cooking and finishing
- Flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Romesco sauce, recipe below
Spice mix. Mix together thoroughly: 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon each granulated garlic and freshly ground black pepper; 1/ 2 teaspoon each sweet paprika and smoked paprika; and 1/ 4 teaspoon piment d’Esplette or cayenne pepper, to taste.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Coat the pork pieces with 2 tablespoons olive oil, then toss with 2 teaspoons of the spice mix. Set aside in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
- Coat the shrimp with lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil, then toss with 2 teaspoons of the spice mix. Set aside in the refrigerator for not longer than 15 minutes.
- Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat. (I used a cast iron grill pan for the fancy char markings.) Coat with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sear the pork first and cook for about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
- In the same pan, add a bit more olive oil if needed, and sear the shrimp; about 2 minutes per side.
To serve: spread some Romesco sauce on a plate, then place the pork and shrimp atop. Drizzle a bit more sauce and olive oil over the top, if desired. Garnish with plenty of chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Quick Romesco Sauce
Adapted from Chow – Kate Ramos
Makes: About 1-1/2 cups
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium tomato, halved
- 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 slice crusty bread (about 1 ounce)
- 1/4 cup whole raw almonds
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar (substituting red wine vinegar is OK too)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
- Arrange the peppers, tomato (cut side up), garlic, bread, and almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until the bread and almonds are lightly toasted, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove the bread and almonds and set aside. Return the peppers, tomato and garlic to the oven and roast an additional 10 – 12 minutes; until softened and some browning occurs.
- Transfer the roasted ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse to coarsely chop. Add vinegar, olive oil, salt, and paprika and pulse again until well combined and relatively smooth.
NOTES
Reserve any remaining spice mix and Romesco sauce for future uses! The spice mix may be used on meats, vegetables, rice and potatoes. Romesco is a classic dipping sauce for vegetables or spread over a crusty slice of barra de pan…There are countless ways to enjoy Romesco, but I might be seen eating it with a spoon!
P.S. I adore James Campbell Caruso’s cookbooks, and highly recommend them if you are a fan of Spanish cooking and EATING.
P.P.S. A few photos from my time with Chef Alicia of Catacurian Cooking Vacations at Clos de l’Obac Winery:
