chorizo, pepper & oregano salad

Serves 2–4

Preparatiosn time 15 minutes

Cooking time 15 minutes

200 g (7 oz) chorizo sausage

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 red peppers, cored, deseeded and cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) squares

2 yellow peppers, cored, deseeded and cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) squares

1 red onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

½ bunch of oregano, roughly chopped

75 g (3 oz) rocket

salt and pepper

Peel off the outer wrapping, or ‘skin’, on the chorizo sausage. Cut the sausage into thick slices. Set aside.

Put the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, add the red and yellow peppers and cook for 2–3 minutes until they start to colour. Add the chorizo and fry for another 3 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and add the onion. Cook for a further 3 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.

Deglaze the pan with the sherry vinegar, scraping up any bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon, and reduce for 1 minute.

Transfer the contents of the pan to a large salad bowl and leave to cool slightly. Toss gently with the oregano and rocket. Season with salt and pepper and serve with Romesco Sauce (see below).

For romesco sauce, to serve as an accompaniment, soak 1 ancho chilli in a bowl of cold water for 1 hour; drain. Put the ancho chilli, 4 ready-marinated red peppers, 2 peeled and deseeded tomatoes, 20 g (¾ oz) blanched toasted almonds, 20 g (¾ oz) toasted hazelnuts, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika into a food processor or blender. Whiz briefly to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the salad.

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