Xato (Catalan Salt Cod and Endive Salad with Romesco-Style Sauce)

Xato is a Catalan winter salad from the coastal town of Sitges, built on curly endive, salt cod, and tuna, all tossed in a romesco-style almond and pepper sauce. It balances bitter greens against a rich, garlicky dressing.

Ingredients

• For the salad
• 1 head curly endive (escarole), torn into bite-size pieces
• 4 oz salt cod, soaked and shredded, or canned tuna
• 1/4 cup black olives
• 2 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• For the xato sauce
• 1/4 cup blanched almonds
• 2 dried nyora peppers (or 1 tablespoon sweet paprika), soaked
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 slice stale bread, toasted
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Make the sauce base
   Toast the almonds in a dry pan until golden, then blend with the garlic, toasted bread, and soaked peppers.
2. Emulsify
   With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil and vinegar until the sauce is thick and smooth. Season with salt.
3. Assemble the salad
   Arrange the endive on a platter and top with the shredded salt cod, olives, anchovies, and hard-boiled eggs.
4. Dress
   Spoon the xato sauce generously over the top just before serving.
5. Serve
   Serve immediately with crusty bread to mop up the extra sauce.

Xato is traditionally paired with a glass of local Catalan wine.