Spicy Chorizo & Clam Chowder
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
4 pounds clams (such as manila or littleneck), shells scrubbed under cold running water
1/3 pound Spanish style chorizo, diced
2 strips thick-cut bacon, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and diced (or use 2 large russet potatoes)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley and/or scallions, for garnish
Directions
Combine the rinsed clams with 2 cups cold water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and let steam until the clams open—about 8 minutes. Remove all the open clams, then re-cover and continue to cook any that haven’t opened for an additional 1-2 minutes. If they still don’t open, discard, but reserve the cooking liquid.
Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or other fabric, discarding any solids and reserving the remaining liquid.
Remove the clams from their shells, and place in a bowl covered with a damp paper towel (this keeps them from drying out).
Combine the chorizo and bacon in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and sauté until bacon is rendered and chorizo is slightly crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and chorizo, leaving the fat in the pot. (If your bacon isn't very fatty, you may need to add a teaspoon or two of oil).
Add the celery, onions, garlic, paprika, and rutabaga, and sauté 2-3 minutes, just to soften them a bit. Add the strained clam liquid + 1 1/2 cups of water, and cook until the rutabaga is tender (about 10-15 minutes).
Add the milk, cream, chorizo and bacon, and let simmer gently for 10 minutes (do not let it boil or the milk will curdle). Stir in the clams, and let simmer an additional five minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with parsley and scallions before serving.
Chunky Avocado Toast with Crispy Chorizo & Fried Capers
Serves 1, multiply as needed
Ingredients
2 slices whole grain bread
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup diced Spanish chorizo
1 tablespoon capers
1 medium sized ripe avocado (such as Hass)
Kosher or flaky sea salt and fresh lime juice, to taste
Directions
Preheat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the slices of bread and fry in the oil until golden and toasted on all sides. Remove bread from pan and set aside.
Add the diced chorizo to the hot pan, and cook until crispy. Add the capers in right at the end, and saute just for a few seconds until they crisp and pop. Remove from heat.
Peel and dice the avocado into large chunks. Pile on the toast, then top with the fried chorizo, capers, and any oil from the pan. Sprinkle with salt and a good squeeze of lime.
Serve immediately.
Potato Chip Scrambled Eggs with Chorizo
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 Spanish onion, diced
3 cured chorizo links, sliced (about 1/2 pound)
8 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
5 ounces kettle cooked potato chips (about 2 small or 1 medium sized bag)
1/4 cup loosely packed parsley, minced
Kosher salt, black pepper, and red chile flakes to taste
Directions
Whisk together eggs and cream.
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes until onions start to soften. Add the chorizo and cook 3-5 minutes until fat has rendered and chorizo is slightly charred.
Add the potato chips, tossing to coat with the onions and chorizo. Add the eggs and lower heat to the lowest setting. Stir continuously until the eggs cook completely.
Divide into plates, and garnish with parsley, salt, black pepper, and chile flakes. Serve immediately.
Chickpea and Chorizo Soup Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound Spanish-style cured chorizo, sliced
1 large onion, diced
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)
2 15oz cans chickpeas (preferably low sodium), drained and rinsed
1 36oz can whole tomatoes
1 quart low sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt and black pepper
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chorizo and onion, and saute until the chorizo is slightly crisp, and the onion is soft. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, and cayenne, and stir to combine well. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes with their liquid, and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer about 20 minutes or until broth has reduced slightly.
Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper, and serve.
Puff Pastry Shells with Chorizo, Dates & Pine Nuts
By Alejandra Ramos, AlwaysOrderDessert.com
Frozen puff pastry shells are baked then filled with an easy sweet and savory filling that’s reminiscent of Spanish tapas. The chorizo filling can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance, and then reheated just before assembling and serving the appetizers.
Yields 12 appetizers
Ingredients
12 puff pastry shells
1 pound (about 4 links) fresh chorizo sausage in casing
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
4 large medjool dates, pitted and diced
1 cup beef stock
¼ cup dry sherry
½ cup toasted pine nuts
Fresh thyme, flaky sea salt, for garnish
Directions
Bake puff pastry shells according to package directions. Push in or remove the centers to create a well.
Remove chorizo from casing, crumble into a saucepan over medium heat, and cook until browned. (If your chorizo is not very fatty, you may need to add 2 tablespoons of olive oil or other fat to the pan.) Add the smoked paprika, dates, beef stock, and sherry, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer 3-5 minutes, or until liquid has reduced and turned into a glaze. Stir in the pine nuts.
Divide filling into baked puff pastry shells, and garnish with a sprinkle of thyme and flaky sea salt.
Empanadas have long been one of my favorite savory snacks. A delicious dough-y package filled with goodness? Yeah, it's tough to go wrong.
While you can definitely use regular all-purpose flour for this dough, I would recommend trying to find Italian "00" flour (easily available on Amazon or specialty cooking stores), which is a finely milled flour that's amazing for making things like pizza dough and bread.
Baked Argentinian Chorizo Empanadas
Makes about 10 large empanadas
Ingredients
For the Dough
3 cups type "00" flour OR use regular all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup half & half or heavy cream
For the filling
1 pound smoked Spanish-style chorizo (should be fully-cooked--not fresh chorizo)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups baby spinach
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 hardboiled eggs, sliced (optional)
1 large egg, slightly beaten
Directions
First prepare the dough: combine flour, salt, and paprika in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and egg yolk, and pulse again until evenly combined. Turn on and slowly add the cream until the dough comes together in a large ball (you may not need all the cream).
Remove dough from food processor, divide in half, and form into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
Prepare the filling: Place chorizo links in the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions and chorizo. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the cauliflower, carrots, and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer until vegetables are very tender and most of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in the baby spinach (the heat from the meat will wilt the spinach). Let cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.
Remove dough from the fridge and working with one disc at a time, roll it out to about 1/8" of an inch thick. Use an upside-down bowl to cut out rounds about 5-6 inches in diameter.
Fill each round with a few spoonfuls of the mixture plus one slice of egg. Brush the edges with the beaten egg, and fold over, then crimp with a fork or your fingers. Place on the prepared baking sheet, then repeat with rest of dough. (You can also brush the entire empanada with a bit more egg for more of a glossy crust.)
Bake 20 - 25 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Serve hot.
Make-ahead Note: You can also freeze the unbaked empanadas for baking later.
Whole Shrimp with Spicy Chorizo Broth
Serves 2 as an entree, 4 as an appetizer
Ingredients
14 whole super colossal shrimp (about 2lbs)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 large garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 pound smoked or cured Spanish chorizo (do not use fresh chorizo), sliced
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups low or no-sodium shrimp or fish stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
Lemon wedges and bread, for serving
Directions
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and pat gently dry, set aside.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the sliced garlic and the chorizo, and saute until fragrant and the chorizo is slightly seared.
Add the paprika, salt, pepper, butter, shrimp stock, and white wine and bring up to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and let simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth has reduced by 1/3.
Add the shrimp, cover, and let cook for about 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are bright red and fully cooked. Stir in the fresh cilantro, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary, and serve immediately with lemon wedges and bread for dipping in the broth.
Barilla Rigatoni with Chorizo and Spicy Chipotle Cream Sauce
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 pound box of Barilla Mezzi Rigatoni or other small pasta shape (like penne or large shells)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo, removed from casings (you can also substitute fresh turkey or chicken chorizo for a lighter option)
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon smoked spanish paprika (optional)
Zest of one whole lemon, finely grated
3 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely minced + more for garnish
1 cup grated cotija cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Bring 1 gallon of water to boil in a large pot. Once the water is boiling, season with 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt.
While the water boils, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, until translucent, then add the fresh chorizo, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cooking until fully browned (about 5 minutes). Add the red bell pepper, garlic, the chipotle peppers (use 1 or 2 depending on how much spice you like), the paprika, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, the heavy cream, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Remove from heat.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook 1-2 minutes less than package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with the cilantro and return to the heat for 1-2 minutes, tossing to coat well. Add a little bit of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if it seems too thick.
Remove from heat, stir in the cotija cheese, and season with black pepper and additional salt to taste. Garnish with additional cilantro just before serving.
Spicy Black Pepper Shrimp with Chorizo
Serves 4
Ingredients
20 jumbo shrimp, cleaned with tails on
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
1 lime juiced, plus additional lime wedges, for serving
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (Use more if you like it extra spicy!)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 cured Spanish chorizo links (about 1/2 pound--I love D'Artagnan), sliced
Directions
In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the olive oil, lime juice, black pepper, salt, and coriander until evenly coated. Let sit 5 minutes.
Preheat a grill pan or cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and cook the shrimp in batches, about 2 minutes per side. (You can also skewer the shrimp to cook on an outdoor grill.)
Grill the chorizo about 1 minute per side, until heated through and slightly charred (the chorizo is already fully cooked).
Serve immediately with lime wedges.
