Seared Chicken with Romesco Sauce

From the garden

• 3 large red bell peppers, left whole, for charring
• 1 medium ripe tomato, halved
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup almonds, toasted — or traditional hazelnuts, or half and half
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

From the pantry

• 1 slice crusty bread, toasted and torn
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar — sherry vinegar is traditional if you have it
• ⅓ cup olive oil — plus more for the chicken
• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• salt — to taste
• black pepper

1. Char the whole peppers and the tomato halves under a hot broiler (or over a grill flame), turning the peppers until blackened on all sides, 10–15 minutes. Steam the peppers in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then slip off the skins, pull out the seeds, and peel the tomato.
2. Blend the peeled peppers and tomato with the garlic, toasted almonds, torn bread, smoked paprika, vinegar, and a big pinch of salt. With the machine running, stream in the olive oil until the sauce is thick, rustic, and just barely coarse — romesco shouldn't be perfectly smooth. Taste and sharpen with more vinegar or salt.
3. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season well with salt and pepper. Heat a film of olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high and sear the thighs 5–6 minutes per side, until deeply browned and cooked through to 165°F. Rest 5 minutes.
4. Spread a thick pool of romesco across a warm platter, arrange the chicken on top, and drizzle with any resting juices and a thread of olive oil.
5. Scatter with parsley and serve — roasted potatoes or blistered green beans on the side make it a full plate, and leftover sauce is good on almost anything.