Michael Coy
Chorizo a la sidra is a classic Spanish tapas dish, and is one of the best ways to enjoy smoky chorizo sausage and apple cider (sidra).
Prep Time: 5minutes
Cook Time: 15minutes
Total Time: 20minutes
Servings: 6
Choriza a la sidra is a dish you’ll find all over Spain. Its two main ingredients, chorizo sausage and hard apple cider from Asturias, are popular with every chef in the country.
During the summer months, a cool glass of sidra, the lightly alcoholic, lightly fizzy cider is a welcome relief from the heat of the day. But its flavours really shine when it’s paired with salty, smokey, and spicy chorizo.
Whereas to British people a sausage is simply a sausage, and there’s and end to it, for the Spanish there are infinite varieties. ‘Chorizo’ is easy to recognise, because it has an attractive red colour. When you taste it, you’ll know it for all time, because it’s pleasantly spicy!
The colour comes from paprika, which is diced and added to the pork. Some chorizo is labelled dulce, sweet, and the other type is picante (spicy). In Spain we never say ‘hot’ to mean spicy.
Ingredients
Let’s talk about each of the 5 ingredients.
Chorizo: You can use either fresh or semi-cured chorizo in this recipe.
Apple Cider: This adds a delightful fruity flavour to this smoky, paprika-spiced dish.
Olive Oil: Be sure to use good quality Spanish olive oil if you can. The better your olive oil is, the better this dish will taste!
Bay Leaves: This herb adds a subtle flavour that enhances the flavours of the sausage and apple.
Parsley: The perfect colourful garnish for this flavourful dish.
* 18 ounces (500 grammes) chorizo
* 1 tablespoon, extra virgin olive oil
* 1.5 cups, apple cider (‘sidra’ in Spanish shops)
* 2 bay leaves (‘laurel’ in Spanish shops)
* 2 tablespoons, chopped parsley (optional garnish)
Instructions
1. Cut the chorizo into 2 centimetre slices (just under an inch long).
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying-pan over a medium heat. Add the chorizo to the pan and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the hard cider and the bay leaves, and toss the chorizo to coat. Simmer until the liquid turns syrupy with streaks of red oil on top from the chorizo; about 5-8 minutes.
4. Serve the chorizo in bowls as a side dish, or enjoy as a main course with slices of hearty bread. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Notes
Use the best quality ingredients you can find. It will really make a difference in the flavour!
Can’t find Spanish sidra (hard apple cider)? Use another type of hard apple cider with a tangy, earthy flavour.
Be careful not to slice the chorizo too thinly, or it may break apart during the cooking process.
Did you know that we often employ the word ‘chorizo’ in a slang sense? We use it to mean a politician or civil servant who is on the take, more interested in his own profit than in helping the public.
READ MORE:
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- SPANISH RECIPE: How to make the perfect rabo de toro – the bull’s tail
- SPANISH RECIPE: Make gazpacho the traditional Andalucian way
