Chorizo Tapas Four Ways

A spiced chickpea and chorizo salad with cumin and cardamom

Hot sauce baked potatoes rubbed in chorizo oil and roasted garlic

Sticky and sweet vinaigrette glazed chorizo on salted avocado mash

Baked field mushroom stuffed with panko breadcrumbs, chorizo and topped with anchovy oil

Tapas is derived from the word tapa - ‘to cover’. Today it is used to encourage conversation while dining. If everyone else is anything like me, eating can be over in 5 minutes. Yum Cha is very similar in tradition. It is translated to ‘drink tea’. Originally it was a time to sit with friends, socialise and drink tea. The food was eventually the focus, much like in Spain.

Originally tapas started as a piece of bread or cured meat used to cover sherry at a bar, to prevent fruit flies from getting into the sherry. It eventually grew to cheese and a plethora small eats. People also believe it was a plate placed on top of the glass to deter people from noticing the terrible wine.

Either way, it takes its form of modern day tapas.

 Maybe there is something to be said about moderation, enjoyment, pleasure and a removal of guilt?  

Ingredients

Serves 2

A spiced chickpea and chorizo salad

½ cup chickpeas

½ chorizo

¼ tsp cumin

¼ tsp cardamom

¼ tsp nutmeg

 Flat leafed parsley, finely chopped.

½ lemon, juiced

Hot sauce baked potatoes

2 cream delight potatoes

\2 tbsp hot sauce

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp chorizo oil (from frying)

Glazed chorizo on salted avocado mash

1 avocado

1 chorizo

¼ cup water

¼ cup white vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp course sea salt

Baked and stuffed field mushrooms

¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

¼ chorizo

1 medium field mushroom

1 tbsp anchovy oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Start by cutting then boiling potatoes for 7 minutes. Dice 2 chorizo and fry on medium heat until browned and oil is released. Finely chop garlic and add to a baking dish with potatoes, hot sauce and chorizo oil. Coat well and bake in oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes, or until crisp and browned.

With remaining oil from chorizo, fry panko breadcrumbs and add chopped chorizo. Remove the stalk from field mushroom and add fill with panko mix. Cook in oven for 10 minutes.

In a pot bring water, vinegar and sugar to the boil. Reduce heat and let the vinaigrette reduce to half. Mash avocado and salt and plate. Reheat chorizo and coat in vinaigrette. Serve on avocado mash.

 Mix chickpeas, finely chopped flat leafed parsley, herbs and add lemon juice. Add chorizo and mixed well.

Serve with a good bottle of sherry.