Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 200°C. For the romesco sauce, place tomatoes in a small roasting pan, cut-side up. Season and bake for 25 minutes or until soft. Place nuts on a baking tray and lightly toast in the oven for the final 5 minutes of cooking time.
• 2.
  Cool tomatoes, then peel. Tip nuts into a clean tea towel and rub to remove skins. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbs oil in a pan over medium heat. Add bread and fry for 3-4 minutes, turning, until just golden, stirring in garlic for final 2 minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor. Add the tomatoes, nuts, chilli, vinegar, remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and some pepper. Blend until smooth. (Sauce can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days.)
• 3.
  Half-fill a deep-fryer or large, deep saucepan with sunflower oil and heat to 190°C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 30 seconds when the oil is hot enough).
• 4.
  Cut squid tubes into 1cm slices, then halve bunches of tentacles lengthways if large. Season all seafood well. Working with 4 pieces at a time, coat well in semolina, then shake to remove excess.
• 5.
  Deep-fry one-quarter of the fish and prawns for 1 minute or until crisp and golden. Drain briefly on paper towel, then arrange on a platter. Deep-fry one-quarter of the squid for 30 seconds until crisp and golden, drain on paper towel, then add to platter. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and romesco sauce.

• 6.
  Bring oil back to temperature, then repeat with remaining batches of fish, prawns and squid, serving them up as they come out of the pan piping hot.