Chorizo Verde Recipes

FRESH GREEN CHORIZO

Steps:

• Place the ground pork in a large bowl. Set a cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, oregano, bay leaf and cloves and toast briefly until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Remove from the heat, transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Add to the bowl with the ground pork.
• Return the skillet to a high flame and heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic cloves, Serrano and poblano chiles and roast, turning them from time to time until softened slightly and blackened in spots, about 6 to 12 minutes, removing the pieces as they finish cooking. Set aside to cool at room temperature. Once garlic cloves are cool enough to handle, peel them and discard the skin. Wearing gloves if possible, remove the stems and seeds from the Serrano chiles. Remove the stems and seeds from the poblano chile, and peel away the charred skin.
• In a blender, purée the roasted garlic cloves, Serrano and poblano chiles along with the sherry vinegar, parsley and kosher salt until smooth. Transfer to the bowl with the ground pork and spices.
• Mix the chorizo with your (preferably gloved) hands until thoroughly combined. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use, or for up to 3 days. The chorizo can also be frozen in an airtight bag for up to 1 month.

CHORIZO VERDE

Steps:

• 1. Roast the poblano chile directly over a gas flame or 4 inches below a very hot electric broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes for the broiler. Cool until handleable, rub off the blackened skin, tear open and pull out the stem and seed pod. Quickly rinse to remove any seeds or bits of skin. Roughly chop and scoop into a food processor, along with the serrano(s) and cilantro. Pulse until uniformly chopped, then run the machine until you have a coarse puree.
• 2. Finish the sausage. In a large bowl, combine the pork with the green seasonings and the salt-your hand is the most efficient utensil for working the seasonings thoroughly into the meat.

BAKED 'PAELLA' WITH SHRIMP, CHORIZO AND SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/230 degrees Celsius.
• Add 6 tablespoons/90 milliliters oil, the parsley, half the chile, the roughly chopped garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a grind of pepper to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Scrape half the salsa verde into a medium bowl and reserve the remaining salsa verde.
• Keeping the heads and tails intact, remove and discard the shrimp shells and transfer the head-on shrimp into the medium bowl with the salsa verde. Add the halibut, lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper to the bowl with the shrimp and gently toss to combine. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill while you continue with the rest.
• Add the chorizo, tomatoes, onion, tomato paste and the remaining sliced garlic, chile and 3 tablespoons oil to a large (about 15-by-10 inches/40-by-28 centimeters), deep metal roasting pan and toss to coat. Transfer to the oven and cook until sauce is thickened and browned at the edges, stirring once halfway through, about 20 minutes.
• Stir the rice, artichokes, bell pepper, paprika, saffron, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a good grind of pepper into the pan. Pour in the stock and hot water and stir well to combine. Cover with foil and return to the oven until the rice is cooked through and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees Fahrenheit/260 degrees Celsius.
• Remove the pan from the oven, remove the foil and top with the marinated shrimp and halibut, gently pushing them into the rice without mixing it around too much. Return to the oven, uncovered, until the shrimp and halibut have cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Spoon the reserved salsa verde over the paella. Serve warm, with the lemon wedges alongside.