Chef Larry's Choricito Frito
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients:
2 tsp. Olive oil
12 oz. Spanish chorizo sausage (see Chef Larry's Notes)
For service Baguette bread, sliced
Method:
"Butterfly" or split chorizo sausages lengthwise. Heat olive oil in a skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add split sausages to pan and pan fry until well browned on both sides. Place cooked sausages on a paper towel to drain. Score cooked sausage across and place on serving platter for service. Serve with sliced Baguette and Rioja, a Spanish red wine.
Chef Larry's Notes:
Serve Choricito Frito as a Tapa or appetizer.
Spanish Chorizo is available on-line from specialty Spanish food vendors such as Tienda.com
Chef Larry's Gazpacho
Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
3/4 cup Tomatoes, fresh, diced
3/4 cup Cucumber, peeled, de-seeded, diced
1/3 cup Green Bell Pepper, diced
1/3 cup Red Pepper, diced
3/4 cup Celery, diced
1/4 cup Scallions, minced
1/2 cup Red onions, diced fine
1/3 tsp. Garlic, fresh, minced
4 cups Tomato juice
1/4 cup Olive oil
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp. White Wine Tarragon Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Tarragon, fresh, minced
1/2 tsp. Chives, minced
2 tsp. Parsley, fresh, chopped
to taste Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Method:
Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning. Allow flavors to develop under refrigeration for at least 2-3 hours. Serve well chilled.
Chef Larry's Notes:
White wine tarragon vinegar is available in many gourmet shops. It can be made by reducing minced shallots in white wine, then adding fresh tarragon and rice wine vinegar.
Chef Larry's Stuffed Piquillo Peppers
(Pimientos Piquillos Rellenos)
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients:
4 Whole Spanish Piquillo peppers
3/4 lb. Lean ground beef
1/2 cup Onion, finely diced
2 -3 Garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. Olive oil
1/2 tsp. Parsley, minced
to season Salt
to season Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup Salsa Marinara (recipe follows)
Method:
Prepare Marinara Sauce per recipe, reserve. Heat olive oil in a saute pan or skillet. Add onion and garlic, saute briefly, do not brown. Add ground beef and cook until done. Season with salt and pepper and finish with chopped parsley. Stuff Piquillo peppers with ground beef mixture. Place Marinara Sauce in a baking or casserole dish and top with stuffed Piquillo peppers. Place in a preheated oven and bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Chef Larry's Notes:
Piquillo peppers are small conical-shaped peppers from the Navarra region of northern Spain. Fireroasted and packed in olive oil, they can be found at specialty Spanish food vendors on-line such as Tienda.com
Chef Larry's Salsa Marinara
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients:
2 tblspn. Olive oil
1 cup Diced tomatoes, peeled, crushed
1/2 tsp. Fresh garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Shallot, minced
1/4 cup Fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp. Oregano leaves
1/3 cup Tomato juice
1 tsp. Parsley, chopped
to taste Salt
to taste Fresh ground black pepper
Method:
Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots. Saute until translucent, do not brown. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano and tomato juice. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching. Season with salt and pepper. Cool sauce and carefully puree. Stir in parsley and reserve.
Chef Larry's Sangria
Yield: 8 - 10 Servings
Ingredients:
1 bottle (750 ml) Rioja, Spanish red wine
1 Lime, diced
1 Orange, diced
1 Lemon, diced
1 Apple, diced
1 cup Seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Cinnamon stick
1/2 cup Orange juice
2 tbsp. Lemon or lime juice
2 cups Soda water or lemon lime soda
as needed Ice cubes
Method:
Place fruit in a large non-reactive bowl. Add wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, orange juice and lemon juice. Stir until well mixed and sugar is dissolved. Place under refrigeration and chill for at least 3 - 4 hours. For service, top off Sangria with soda and mix. Strain and pour into chilled glasses or a chilled serving pitcher.
