Xató
A winter Catalan salad of escarole, salt cod, tuna and anchovies, bound by xató sauce — a romesco cousin of ground nuts, nyora pepper and garlic.
Xató is the winter salad of the Garraf and Penedès coast — Sitges, Vilanova, Vilafranca all lay claim. Crisp escarole is tossed with shredded salt cod, tuna, anchovies and olives, then dressed with xató sauce: almonds and hazelnuts, dried nyora pepper, garlic, oil and vinegar pounded together, close kin to romesco. It headlines the xatonades, communal winter feasts held between January and Lent, usually followed by omelettes.
How it's served
As a winter starter, above all during the xatonada season from Sant Antoni to Lent, traditionally followed by a run of omelettes.
- Origin
- Garraf and Penedès, Catalonia
- Etymology
- The salad takes its name from its sauce; the word's deeper origin is debated among the towns that serve it.
Frequently asked
What is xató sauce?
A pounded sauce of almonds and hazelnuts, dried nyora pepper, garlic, bread, oil and vinegar — very close to romesco, and what gives the salad its name.
Where is xató from?
The Garraf and Penedès area south-west of Barcelona. Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú and Vilafranca del Penedès all claim it, and celebrate it with winter xatonades.
Related terms
- RomescoA Catalan sauce of roasted tomato, garlic, almond, hazelnut, dried nyora pepper and olive oil. The default dip for calçots.
- NyoraSmall, round, sun-dried sweet red pepper. The defining ingredient in romesco and a backbone of many Catalan, Valencian and Murcian dishes.
- BacallàSalt-cured Atlantic cod. The backbone of Catalan, Basque and inland-Spanish cooking for centuries; soaked in water before use, then prepared a hundred different ways.
- EsqueixadaA cold Catalan summer salad of shredded raw salt cod with tomato, onion, peppers and olives. Never cooked.