The hotbed of chiles in Spain is the valley of La Vera, where the
pimientos (chiles) are grown and smoked to make the famous spice
pimentón de la Vera. The majority of the pimentón goes to the sausage
factories, where it is used to spice up, flavor, and brighten up the
famous Spanish chorizo. But it is also packed in tins for the consumer
market. There are three varieties of pimentón--sweet (dulce), hot
(picante), and bittersweet (agridulce). The hot type is used in winter
soups, chorizo, and Galician pulpo, or octopus. The octopus is boiled
and sliced, then sprinkled with olive oil, salt, and hot pimentón
powder. Interestingly, there are recipes for chorizo and potato stews
that utilize all three of the types of pimentón. Serve this sauce over
grilled seafood and chicken.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium purple onion, chopped
3 tablespoons hot pimentón
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup minced green olives
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the garlic, onion, and 1
tablespoon of pimentón and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes
and bell peppers and cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a blender or food processor. Add
the remaining pimentón and the olives and puree. Transfer the sauce back
to the pan and keep warm.
