Artichoke Salad with Romesco

Ingredients

  • 6 stalks celery stalks cut diagonally into 2½" pieces
  • salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoons sweet pimenton (not smoked) <ref>Spanish pimenton comes in three flavors-dulce (sweet), agridulce (bittersweet) and picante (spicy hot). Each is made from a different subspecies of pepper. Sweet pimenton, smoked or unsmoked, is the most versatile, while the bittersweet adds an interesting complexity to a dish. The spicy-hot is packed with flavor and really not at all fiery to most palates. Substitute Spanish pimenton in any recipe calling for paprika.</ref>
  • water as needed
  • 2 dozen almonds blanched, skinned
  • ¼ cup olive oil divided
  • ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 cans artichoke hearts - (13¾ oz ea) drained, quartered
  • 3 cup chopped lettuce or escarole
  • 1 hard-boiled egg sliced
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1 tbsp chopped green onion

Directions

  1. Blanch the celery in boiling salted water 6 minutes.
  2. Drain and refresh it under cold water.
  3. Set it aside.
  4. Combine the sweet and hot pimenton in a small bowl and mix it with ¼ cup water until it is smooth.
  5. Toast the almonds in 2 teaspoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat until they are golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
  6. Remove from the heat.
  7. Chop the parsley in a food processor, then add the garlic and process until it is finely chopped.
  8. Add the toasted almonds and process until they are finely ground.
  9. Add ½ teaspoon of salt, the vinegar and ½ cup of water and continue to process until the mixture is quite smooth.
  10. Add the pimenton paste and the remaining oil.
  11. This makes 1 cup of dressing (the dressing can be served with other vegetables and salads)
  12. Place the artichoke hearts and celery in a bowl and top with the dressing.
  13. Marinate 1 hour at room temperature.
  14. Prepare a bed of lettuce or escarole on a large platter.
  15. Arrange the artichokes and celery on top.
  16. Garnish with the egg, mint and onion.
This article uses material from the "Artichoke Salad with Romesco" article on the Recipes wiki at Wikia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License