It’s that time of year again. From December to March calçots are in season and during this time La Quinta Brasserie brings the Catalan calçotada to Sevilla. Over the years it’s become a bit of a tradition here at Casa Azahar. You can either order the full menu or just a “teja” (roof tile) of calçots to share and then order a la carte.

The calçots are similar to a large spring onion and are roasted over coals, then wrapped up in newspaper and served with a wonderfully nutty romesco sauce. Delicious and also messy as hell (La Quinta provided us with a paper bib and also black latex gloves for this procedure). The trick is getting the non-charred soft delicate centre out. First you peel away a bit of the charred bit at the end until you see the green part of the onion. Hold onto that! Then tightly grip the tip of the calçot with your other hand and pull.

After that you dip the calçot into romesco sauce, another Catalan dish made with tomatoes and roasted red peppers, puréed and thickened with toasted crushed almonds and bread. Heaven.  After dipping the calçot into the romesco you are meant to tip your head back, hold it high over your mouth and slowly lower it in. So good, and also lots of fun.