Sunday 25 March 2007

Hot Chorizo, Bean and Tomato Salad


This meal is unashamedly adapted from the glorious Moro, probably my favourite restaurant in London and an amazing pair of books to boot. I love the Clark's approach to food, their vision all of those years back when they first set out on a food journey. Researching Mediterranean food of the people, proper food with flavour and simplicity, and taking it back to their restaurant to cook up a storm.

This combination of cold beans, raw onions, tomatoes, fresh parsley and a sharp dressing with the heat of freshly seared crisp chorizo is a beautiful combination, perfect with crusty bread and a glass of crisp white wine.

Hot Chorizo, Bean and Tomato Salad
Serves 2

1 tin of butter, flageolet or cannellini beans, drained and washed (or if you prefer, 100g of your choice of bean soaked for 8 hours and boiled to instruction)
4 large tomatoes cubed or a small punnet of cherry tomatoes halved
1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, leaves picked
Half a red onion, sliced finely
150g chorizo, cut into 1cm cubes
Red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
Olive Oil
Juice of half a lemon
1 garlic clove
Freshly ground salt and pepper

1 - Tip the beans, tomatoes, onion and parsley into a bowl and combine with your fingers.
2 - Make the dressing by crushing the garlic clove, preferably in a pestle and mortar. Mix with 1 tbs of the vinegar, 3 tbs of olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Dress the salad in the bowl then pile into 2 bowls.
3 - In a hot frying pan, fry the chorizo in a little olive oil until crisp. Scatter over the salad.

Mexican Bean Soup

Ingredients - Feeds 4 2 tbsp olive oil 4 spring onions, sliced 2 sticks of celery, diced 1 red pepper, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, sliced 2 ...