Marinated peppers mingle with chorizo and chickpeas for a bold, breezy salad that practically serves itself.

Marinated pepper, chorizo & chickpea salad

Serves 4-6 (as a side) 

Ingredients

For the marinated peppers

2 red peppers
⅓ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ red onion, finely sliced
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Handful parsley, finely chopped
Salt and milled pepper

For the salad

180g chorizo, skin removed and sliced into rounds
1 can (410g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
40g wild rocket or rocket, to serve
Basil leaves, to serve 

Method

1. Scorch the peppers over an open flame or in the oven on grill until blackened on all sides. Place the peppers in a bowl and immediately cover with cling wrap to sweat. Set aside for 8-10 minutes. Peel the peppers by rubbing the skins off. 
2. Deseed and slice peppers into thin strips. Add to a jar or bowl.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and allow to marinate for about 1-2 hours or overnight. 
4. Add the chorizo to a cold pan and place on a high heat. This allows the oils to extract from the chorizo. Fry for about 3 minutes. 
5. Add the chickpeas and fry with the chorizo for another5 minutes or until crispy. Season and allow to cool slightly. 
6. To assemble, arrange the rocket on a serving platter, followed by marinated peppers and the chorizo mixture. 
7. Garnish with basil and enjoy as a side dish.

Recipe & styling: Lichelle May
Photography: Zhann Solomons

Also read: Chorizo and sage roast chicken 

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Stuffing chorizo under the skin adds a smoky, spicy flavour. The extra fat makes the chicken skin crispier and the roast succulent.

Chorizo and sage roast chicken

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients

1 (about 1.3kg) large free-range chicken
Salt and milled pepper
¾ coil (150g) chorizo sarta, chopped very finely
½ cup butter + extra for basting
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ punnet (10g) sage, chopped + extra fried leaves for serving
6 sprigs thyme, leaves picked + extra for serving
2 lemons, zested
1 lemon, juiced
Herbed bulgur wheat, rice or roast potatoes, for serving 

Method

1. Season chicken all over, cover and set aside for 20 minutes to bring to room temperature (this ensures it cooks evenly.)
2. Combine chorizo with butter, spices, herbs, lemon zest and juice.
3. Blitz mixture in a food processor.
4. Loosen skin of chicken and rub a generous layer of butter mixture under skin and over breast and drumsticks.
5. Tie legs together with butcher’s string.
6. Roast chicken at 200°C for 55–65 minutes, basting every 15 minutes with a little butter,until golden-brown and skin is crisp. (If it’s browning too fast, cover with foil.) 
7. Serve chicken drizzled with pan juices and topped with sage, thyme and a side of your choice.

Flavour check-list 

Salty: butter, seasoning
Fat: chicken, chorizo, butter
Sweet: paprika
Acidity: lemon
Heat: chorizo 

Recipe & styling: Liezl Vermeulen
Photography: Donna Lewis

Also read: 4 festive sides for your roasts 

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This Spanish-style soup is packed full of that winter’s day goodness. Perfect for a quick and easy lunch or supper.

Spicy chorizo & potato soup 

Serves 4

Ingredients

Glug olive oil 
1 onion, finely sliced 
1 leek, finely sliced
50-60g chorizo sarta, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, grated 
2 tsp harissa paste 
4 cups (1L) chicken stock
4 medium sweet potatoes, cut into thick rounds
100g baby spinach, shredded 
Salt and milled pepper 
Toasted bagels or crusty bread, for serving  

Method

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. 
2. Sauté onion, leek and chorizo for 5 minutes until glossy and translucent. 
3. Add garlic and harissa paste and cook for 3-5 minutes until fragrant. 
4. Pour in stock and potatoes, simmer for 20 minutes.
5. 5. Turn off the heat, tip in spinach and season. Cover and wilt spinach for about 5 minutes. 
6. Serve with toasted bagels or bread. 

Good to know  

Chorizo sarta is a Spanish, coil-shaped pork product. Characterised by its deep red colour from the spicy added flavour of chilli and paprika, it adds a delicious smokiness to soups, rice dishes or pizzas. For a less spicy option that still includes a smoky and salty flavour, add bacon or pancetta. 

Recipe & photographs courtesy of Fresh Living Magazine.

Also read: Potato & chorizo pambazo 

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This Potato & chorizo pambazo hands down the fan favourite in our office, although the term “wet sandwich” wasn’t at first very appealing. Think of this as a bougie chip roll with some added heat. Convinced yet? 

Potato & chorizo pambazo 

Makes 6 

This was hands down the fan favourite in our office, although the term “wet sandwich” wasn’t at first very appealing. Think of this as a bougie chip roll with some added heat. Convinced yet? 

Ingredients

For the sauce 

2 onions, quartered
3 cloves garlic, halved
⅓ cup chipotle in adobo
⅓ – ½ cup vegetable stock
Salt  

5 potatoes, cut into 3cm cubes
Salt and milled pepper
Oil, for frying
200g Spanish chorizo, (half sliced, half finely chopped)
6 large soft rolls  

For the filling 

½ cup sour cream
200g ricotta (feta works well too)
1 red onion, sliced
Shredded butter or gem lettuce (optional)
Salsa verde 

Method 

1. Char onions and garlic in a dry pan over high heat until lightly blackened.
2. Combine onion, garlic and remaining sauce ingredients in a jug blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside.
3. Par-cook potato cubes in well-salted water for 12–15 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart. Drain them well.
4. Heat a glug of oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry chorizo for 3 minutes. Add potatoes and continue cooking for another 5–8 minutes, or until potatoes are golden. Season.
5. Dip bread in prepared sauce, covering the outside completely and soaking for 30 seconds.
6. Shallow-fry bread in a clean pan on both sides until crispy.
7. Remove and slice open, keeping attached on one end.
8. Layer sour cream, ricotta, onion, lettuce (if using) and potato-mixture on top. Drizzle with salsa verde and serve.

Recipes & styling: Liezl Vermeulen  

Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

Also read: Southern chicken biscuit sandwich 

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From bold and flavourful bites to fresh, fruity salads. Gail Damon shares her party spread for the perfect fiesta.

Grilled gildas

Makes about 10-12

We’ve given this famous bar snack from the Basque country in the north of Spain some South African flare by lightly charring the olives and peppers over the braai.

Toss about ½ packet (100g) green olives (we used pimento stuffed olives) and 10-12 guindilla peppers with olive oil. Char in a pan over medium coals or under the oven grill for 8-10 minutes. Thread one olive, an anchovy fillet and charred pepper onto a bamboo skewer or rosemary stalk. Repeat process until you have 10-12 skewers. Served drizzled with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

Cook’s note

Guindilla peppers or Piparras are pickled Spanish chillies with a sweet and medium hot flavour. Swap them out for pickled jalapenos, shishitos or padron chilli peppers (see here for more on a range of peppers).

Garlic prawn & chorizo pincho

Makes about 10-12

Peel off the outer casing of ½ (about 110g) smoked Spanish chorizo. Slice into medium-thick rounds and fry over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes until crispy and oils have been released. Remove and set aside to keep warm. Add 1 packet (350g) prawn tails to the same pan and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add 3 cloves chopped garlic, ½ tsp chilli flakes and the zest and juice of 2 lemons. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until fragrant and prawns are cooked. Season. To assemble, stack chorizo and prawns onto toasted baguette slices and secure with a bamboo skewer. Drizzle with pan juices and serve scattered with fresh parsley and lemon wedges on the side.

Pork bombas with fresh tomato & garlic

Makes 16-18

Tasty little stuffed mashed potato balls that are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Make them in advance and freeze before frying to get ahead of the prep for your next fiesta. 

Ingredients

Glug olive oil
1/2 (about 110g) smoked Spanish chorizo, cubed
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ packet (375g) frozen pork bangers, defrosted
1½ tsp smoked paprika
Salt and milled pepper
½ cup sherry or balsamic vinegar

4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1½ Tbsp olive oil
Oil for deep frying
Flour
2-3 eggs, whisked
Breadcrumbs (or panko crumbs), for coating

For the tomato garlic

3-4 tomatoes, grated
Glug olive oil
2 cloves garlic, grated
Salt and milled pepper

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Fry chorizo cubes until crispy and oils are released. Remove and set aside.
3. Add onion and fry for 5-8 minutes until soft.
4. Remove pork sausages from casing and fry with onion, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, until browned.
5. Add paprika and sherry or balsamic vinegar and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
6. Add cooked pork mince and chorizo to a food processor and pulse to a course texture. Cool completely.
7. Boil potatoes until fork tender and pass through a sieve, or mash using a potato ricer.
8. Add olive oil, season and roll into balls (about 20-30g each).
9. Using your index finger make an indent halfway through the centre of each potato ball.
10. Fill with about 2 tsp pork and chorizo filling and close potato around filling smoothing into a ball. Allow to set in the fridge for 20 minutes.
11. Combine tomato and garlic ingredients, season well and set aside to infuse.
12. Dredge each ball in flour, egg and breadcrumbs.
13. Heat oil until shimmering hot and deep fry until golden brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and season.
14. Serve hot with tomato and garlic dipping sauce.

Pincho party

A pincho, pintxo or pinchu is a small tapas-like snack typically eaten in bars and is popular in northern Spain. Pinchos are usually skewered or “spiked” with a toothpick as is or to a piece of bread.

Recipes and styling: Gail Damon

Photographs: Zhann Solomons

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This smoky Spanish sausage will transform any dish. Chop, slice, sizzle and scatter your way into a salty paradise.  

Pizza with chorizo & avo 

Makes 6 thin or 4 thick pizza bases  

Salty chorizo, creamy avo and home-made passata. You can’t go wrong.  

Ingredients 

For the pizza base  

1kg white bread flour + extra for dusting
10g instant yeast
2 Tbsp sugar 
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cups warm water   

For the tomato passata  

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 cans (410g each) tomato purée
50g tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
3 sprigs each thyme and oregano
Salt and milled pepper  

200g mozzarella, grated 200g chorizo, sliced
1 red onion, sliced and pan-fried 
Fresh basil
1 avocado, sliced  

Method 

1. For the pizza bases, combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the centre.
2. Pour oil and half the water into the well and mix, pulling flour from the outside in.
3. Add the remaining water, mixing to form a sticky dough.
4. Tip dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. Rest for 20 minutes, then knead for another 5 minutes (this ensures a super stretchy dough).
6. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
7. For the passata, heat oil and fry garlic over a very low heat for 1-2 minutes.
8. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes.  
9. Preheat oven to maximum setting (for most that’s 240-260°C).
10. Divide dough into 6 equal balls and roll each out into a flat base.
11. Spread bases with a generous dollop of passata.  
12. Divide cheese, chorizo and onion among bases.
13. Bake for 20-25 minutes on a preheated baking tray or until base is crisp and cheese has melted. Top with basil and avocado. Serve. 

BBQ bean & chorizo sloppy joes 

Makes 4 

Makes for quick cooking, resulting in an easy but delicious last-minute dinner.  

Ingredients

1 onion, sliced
100g chorizo, sliced
Olive oil
2 cans (410g each) mixed beans, drained and rinsed 
50g tomato paste
Pinch sugar
Pinch chilli flakes (optional)
Handful parsley, chopped 
2/3 cup water  

For serving  

4 crusty rolls, halved 
Grated Parmesan 
20g wild rocket  

Method

1. Sauté onion and chorizo in a glug of oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid  has evaporated.
3. Spoon onto rolls, top with Parmesan and rocket, and serve.  

Cook’s note
Chorizo is sausage made using ground pork and seasonings such as garlic and smoked paprika. Depending on where it’s made, it can be spicy or mild, cured or semi-cured.

Recipes and photographs: Fresh Living Magazine 

Also read: Chicken and chorizo paella

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