I’m always happy eating grilled seafood with a garlicky mayonnaise, but sometimes it’s good to change it up. The sauce, sometimes called romesco, originated in Catalonia in Spain, and is a blend of roasted peppers, tomatoes, nuts, vinegar, and olive oil. You can use it right away, but it benefits from a night in the fridge for the flavors to develop.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium to large squid, prepared and cleaned
• 12 jumbo shrimp, shell on
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley, to garnish

FOR THE SWEET PEPPER SAUCE

• 2 red peppers
• 1 thick slice of ciabatta or farmhouse white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks
• Olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 ripe tomatoes, such as plum tomatoes, on the vine
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried chile flakes
• ½ cup blanched almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1–2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First make the sauce. Heat a broiler until very hot. Put the peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and place under the broiler. Cook for 5 minutes, turning regularly until the skin is blackened and blistered all over. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool.
2. Cook the bread chunks for 2 minutes in a small frying pan with a dash of oil, then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute until the garlic is tender and the bread is toasted. By this stage the peppers should have cooled and it will be easy to peel and rub off the charred skins. Peel, seed, and roughly chop them, then place in a blender. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the peppers with the bread and garlic. Blend to form a rough paste.
3. Add the smoked paprika, chile flakes, almonds, lemon juice, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the blender and blend until well mixed. Taste and adjust the seasoning. With the motor running, slowly pour in ½ cup olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning again if necessary. Allow to come to room temperature and stir well before serving.
4. Prepare the seafood. Heat a grill pan over high heat until hot. Lightly score one side of the squid in a diamond pattern before cutting into strips. Toss the shrimp and squid together in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the shrimp on the hot grill pan and cook for 2½–3 minutes. Starting diamond side up, cook the squid for about 1 minute on each side. Leave it to curl up and give it an additional minute until just cooked.
5. Serve the seafood hot, garnished with parsley, and with the sweet pepper sauce alongside.