on the menu: white beans, chorizo, kale

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White beans, chorizo, and kale. With classic Spanish chorizo this dish is wonderfully flavorful and warming. The peculiar sweetness of kale balances the spicy, smoky chorizo.

Not hard:

2 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minimum

chorizo, several inches worth, chopped to whatever size. Medallions are popular/picturesque but I like smaller pieces. Chorizo imported from Spain or in the Spanish style is ideal. Portuguese linguica is an OK substitute, any other substitution will require the addition of herbs and pimentón to supply the flavor.

splash of wine

2 cans cannelini beans, rinsed

8 oz broth, your preference

plenty of shredded kale, probably you will wish you had added more

Saute onions, peppers, garlic in olive oil (a dutch oven is nice for this dish), let them get plenty of color. Add the chorizo, allow fat to render. De-glaze with whatever wine you are drinking (I prefer white with this dish, a Sauvignon Blanc maybe, or Chardonnay, or sherry!). Mix in the beans and add the broth (I like beef broth here). Add the kale (I don’t even bother to mix it in at this point, just leave it on the top) and cover to allow the kale to steam. Once it has wilted, mix in. The longer everything can simmer at this point, the better. Say, 20 minutes. Chorizo is traditionally a dry sausage, and takes time to soften, also the flavors have time to mingle.

You can add more or less broth depending on how soupy you would like the final result, this combination is popular as an actual soup as well. All quantities are flexible.

Serve with toast.

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[This recipe is adapted from one from about.com, which I can’t find anymore.]

on the menu: Basque chicken

I finally had a chance to make this Basque chicken recipe from Sorted while I was in San Francisco. It went so well that I made it again, with slight modifications. Better sausage.  A lot more garlic than it calls for.

IMG_7763I like these one pot meals, and this one has a lot of flavor. You basically sautée the base elements, chorizo, onion, peppers, garlic, what have you, deglaze the pan with red wine, preferably Spanish*,  add rice, pimentón, herbs, extras, broth, and shove the whole thing in the oven. The chicken you brown beforehand and place on top before baking. It’s spicy from the chorizo and pimentón, rich from the wine and olives.

More cooking with wine is in order.

*I used the 90+ Cellars Garnacha, which was quite good. Have had such good luck with all of the 90+ Cellars wines I’ve tried.