Asturias · 30 min · Meat · Starter · For beginners
Chorizo a la Sidra
In German: Chorizo in Apfelwein · In English: chorizo in cider
For 4 servings · US units
Chorizo simmered in cider: smoky, gently tart, with plenty of broth for dipping
Chorizo a la Sidra comes from Asturias: the sausage simmers in cider, lets its red, paprika-laced fat seep into the broth, and the cider brings a gentle sharpness of its own. It's on the table in half an hour and makes just the right tapa for the cooler months of autumn and winter. Serve it with white bread, because the broth is every bit as good as the sausage.
Ingredients
- 12⅓ ozin one piece, cut diagonally into slicesSpanish or Portuguese pork sausage, heavily seasoned with paprika and garlic, which releases red fat as it cooks.Substitute: Cured chorizo cut into chunks works at a pinch, though it turns chewier and renders less fat; Mexican chorizo is a different product, loose, seasoned with vinegar and chilli, and changes the dish noticeably.Read more
- 2¾ cupsSpanish sidra or cider; cooking liquidSpanish cider, mainly from Asturias and the Basque Country: dry, tart, usually cloudy and still.Substitute: Dry hard cider or cidre brut works well in cooking; a sweeter cider makes the dish rounder and less sharp, which a splash of cider vinegar partly corrects.Read more
- 1onionfinely chopped or cut into wedges
- 1 tbspolive oilfor sweating the onion
- 1bay leafremove before serving
- saltto taste
- pepperto taste
- 1appletart, peeled, cored, cut into thin wedges (optional)
- 2 clovesgarlicchopped (optional)
- 2parsleysprigs, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)
- white breadfor serving (optional)
Method
- Peel the onion and either chop it finely or cut it into wedges, whichever you prefer. If you like, peel a tart apple, core it and cut it into thin wedges; peel and chop the garlic too, if using.
- Cut the chorizo on the diagonal into slices 1 to 3 cm thick.
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan or deep frying pan and sweat the onion with the bay leaf over medium heat until soft and translucent.
- Add the chorizo slices, along with the apple wedges and garlic if you're using them, and let everything cook together for a moment.
- Pour in the cider so the sausage is well covered and bring it to the boil.
- Turn the heat down and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, with a lid on if you like, so not too much of the liquid cooks away.
- Fish out the bay leaf and season the broth with salt and pepper.
- Serve the chorizo hot in its broth, scattered with finely chopped parsley if you like, with white bread on the side.
Tips and variations
For a punchier version, use apple brandy instead of cider, along with chicken stock and paprika: reduce the sauce first, then cook the sausage in it. You can also go right back to basics and skip the onion and oil, simply boiling the chorizo with garlic in a generous amount of cider. Braised with tart apple wedges under a lid, it turns rounder and a little fruitier. It looks best served in small cups or little earthenware dishes, with plenty of white bread for dunking.
Allergens
May contain if you use the optional ingredients: Cereals containing gluten
Not every ingredient in this recipe has been checked, so nothing is promised as free from.
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
