Tomato and Chorizo Summer Salad

The Spanish chorizo makes a great ingredient, as well as being enjoyed on its own served on cocktail sticks for the most simple of tapas, chorizo sliced into easy bite sized chunks are also great in dishes such as casseroles, stews and also salads.

Using a spicy chorizo really brings a good salad to life and this one works particularly well with hot hot chorizo and cool vine ripened tomatoes side by side...


Ingredients:
6 ripe vine tomatoes
½  red onion
2x chorizo 'picante' sausages
Few sprigs thyme, leaves picked
2 tbsp reserva sherry vinegar
Generous splash of good olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Wash the tomatoes and slice into bite size chunk.
2. Peel the onion and slice thinly.
3. Place the tomatoes and the onion slices in a bowl and sprinkle over the thyme leaves, season and mix.
4. Make the dressing by pouring the olive oil and the sherry vinegar into a small jar with a lid in order to retain any excess for later use. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, put the lid on and shake until the ingredients mix together and emulsify. Drizzle over the tomatoes and onions and mix.
5. While the flavours in your bowl get to work prepare the chorizo. Slice on the diagonal into 2cm slices and fry gently in olive oil for a few minutes each side until they begin to brown.
6. Add the chorizo to the bowl with a drizzle of the juices from the pan/cazuela, mix and serve.

This salad packs a bold flavour punch and is great for the summer!

Pronunciation of Chorizo

The pronunciation of the Spanish sausage 'chorizo' is something we get asked about quite frequently, in fact we have a relative (who will remain nameless) who just cannot pronounce chorizo!

So, here is how and how not to say 'chorizo'... The main thing to remember is that the Spanish pronounce a 'Z' as 'th' thus making chorizo sound like 'choritho'

(chor-ee-tho)

Chorizo only has one 'i' so choreezio is a non starter, neither is chorozo, charesso or careezo.

More on 'chorizo' here

Chorizo and Chickpea Soup

The Spanish chorizo is used in a multitude of Andalucian recipes, barbeque chorizo, chorizo stew, chorizo tapas…the list goes on. This recipe for chorizo and chickpea soup is a real winter warmer but also makes a pleasant starter to a main meal. Traditionally a very basic recipe served in the campo for workers this soup is both filling and packed with rustic flavours.

You will need:

4 Vine plum tomatoes

3 Chorizo sausages (sweet or “dulce”) 

Dried chilli flakes

400g Chickpeas

Thyme

Chicken stock

Method:

1. Dice the tomatoes.

2. Chop the chorizo sausages into inch long pieces.

3. Heat your chicken stock, when near boiled add the tomatoes, sprinkle of chilli flakes, chorizo, chickpeas and thyme.

4. Turn down to a medium heat and stir occasionally for 5 minutes.

5. Ladle the soup into bowls.

6. Serve with fresh crusty bread

Chicken and Iberico Chorizo

Chicken and chorizo is a typically Spanish combination, usually fried to make Spanish tapas the juices from the chorizo are infused in the chicken making delicious bites to eat. This recipe however uses Iberico chorizo (or longaniza) as a key ingredient in a Spanish casserole. The dish is cooked in a large terracotta cazuela combining tomatoes, plenty of garlic, peppers and herbs. There is also the addition of split marinated olives making this Spanish chicken dish full of Andalucian flavour. Warming at any time of the year, especially as a winter meal on those cold evenings.

You will need: (makes 8 kebabs)

1 Large chicken, parted

200g Iberico chorizo/longaniza

200g Split olives

1 Red pepper, sliced

500g Tinned plum tomatoes

8 Garlic cloves, crushed

Teaspoon dried thyme

12 Black peppercorns, crushed

Equipment: 37cm terracotta cazuela

Method:

1.    Part the chicken into thighs, drummers, wings and breasts, cut the breast in half and place into the cazuela.

2.    Drain the juice from the tin of tomatoes into the cazuela and roughly chop the tomatoes (in the tin using an old knife or squeeze with your hand)

3.    Remove the stones from the split olives, tear olives in half and add to the casserole.

4.    Add the rest of the ingredients to the cazuela and mix everything well using your hands making sure all of the chicken is covered.

5.    Cook in the oven at 180 degrees for 1 hour 35 minutes.

6.    Serve Spanish style by placing the cazuela center table and serve with seasonal vegetables or mashed potatoes.

Tapas and Chorizo

This month our 9 year old son Josh was itching to go out around the village with the video camera, the long summer holidays in Spain mean filling nearly three months with things to do and as the little guy has a healthy interest in our online deli he said he would ask the locals about their favourite tapas and chorizo. Great stuff! This is what happened.... Enjoy the video, mostly in Spanish with an English, Italian and French twist..!

Summer Tapas

Iberian ham, marinated olives, chorizo & Morcon

Spanish tapas for the summer, what better time to indulge in some of Spain's finest cured meats. There are two combinations that spring to mind when thinking of summer tapas namely orange with extra virgin olive oil and strawberries with an aged sherry vinegar - don't believe us? Try it! Strange as it may sound these two pairings do work, in fact they work very well. We first tried orange and olive oil when visiting an organic olive oil business in near Jaen a few years ago and it remains a firm favourite, the sherry and strawberries idea came from some publicity produced by 'Capirete' here in Spain but it was not until a local Spanish chef mentioned the idea that we tried it, again now a firm favourite when those big home grown strawberries become available from the local greengrocer.

One thing about Spanish flavours are that they are usually very simple, after all, simple does work. That is not to say that there is anything boring about Spanish food, quite the opposite in fact as the Spanish, for generations have known how to cook with flavour in mind, especially with tapas.

This summer we have introduced 4 simple tapas lines with an Iberian ham twist, a handful of tapas selections put together with flavour in mind - sort of the building blocks to a classy tapas lunch leaving you to to decide on the fruits and red wines (or indeed Fino) of your choice.

Find out more...

A Taste of Spain

Spanish sausages, cured hams, hospitality...you just have to love a taste of Spain for its products, relaxed approach and the fact that people just get on with life  - there is no rat race.

Back in November 2010 we were invited to a local Spanish curing house to sample some delights and take a look around inside the workings of the business, finally this year we made it. Already knowing how good the hams and embutidos were we decided to pop along and see how things worked - back stage.

To discover more about the visit to this unique curing house visit our News & Events page here.

Spanish Cured Meat (Special Offer)

Cured meats from Spain are a true gastronomic experience, each region having its own artisan specialities. Andalucia is no exception, as the biggest Spanish region and in the south conditions for curing pork products and hams are perfect. Last month we sat down with some of our suppliers and discussed the opportunity of promoting cured meats from Andalucia, we were bombarded with a high degree of enthusiasm, the end result being a limited time offer for no less than 2kg of cured embutidos (rrp 32.00 euros) for every customer purchasing a Spanish serrano ham.

Secaderos Torrente, Ovalo and Carniceria de Julian have all agreed to supply some of their finest produce for this limited offer through Orce Serrano Hams so if you are a Spanish ham enthusiast residing the EU why not take advantage?

Complimentary 2kg packs come free with every Serrano ham during the month of March and contain some real Andalucian flavour. Chorizo, salchichon and cured lomo tenderloin although products can vary depending on what is ready at the time. We are sure that this offer will be of interest to anyone who loves traditional Spanish food so why not travel south to inland rural Spain and discover some real treats from local, small family run businesses.

Find Spanish ham

Discover Andalucian Sausages

This offer must end soon, should you have any questions relating to Spanish hams, cured meats or indeed Spanish recipes please do not hesitate to get in touch.


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Iberico Sliced Meats

Sliced meats from Spain make ideal tapas, especially when your having a spread, tapas evening or simply want to enjoy something different perhaps with an after dinner cheese board or Spanish tapas. Sliced doesn't have to be boring either, particularly when it comes to cured Iberian ham, pork tenderloin or chorizo as the flavours speak for themselves.

There is however no getting away from the fact that any sliced meat vacuum sealed in plastic will not be quite the same as the "real deal" right? Well maybe, there are pro's and cons... For starters sliced meats are convenient, they usually come in handy sized 100g or 200g packs so just sufficient for tapas or creating a buffet style Spanish table. Smaller packs also have the distinct advantage of allowing you to taste test the likes of Iberian ham in all its grades which is why we have added four new types of Iberian ham sliced packs to the deli website.

So what does this mean? If you have heard about Iberian ham and never had the gastronomic pleasure of tasting Spain's most famous delicassy then the 100g pack is your friend. Discover the differences between, Cebo, Recebo, Bellota and Bellota reserva at a price that won't upset the bank manager.

It is really worth a go and letting your taste buds make the decision for you. All good Iberian ham suppliers will also offer the cream of the crop by way of "hand sliced" iberian ham in convenient packs. Price is at a premium as you are paying for the skill as well as the product but when you open up a pack like this - take care as those slices are wafer thin, carved by the maestro secadero. Sliced ham like this actually represents very good value for money as you get more bang for your buck through more slices and increased flavour...just the way a good ham should be carved!

Not forgetting pork tenderloin or "lomo" as its known in Spain and also chorizo. Two exquisite products which again, presented in small sliced packs create the opportunity to taste test flavours. If you have some sliced Spanish ham, chorizo, lomo or sausage sitting in the fridge right now here are two good tips to make sure you get the best Spanish flavour:

1. Most importantly, leave the meat to breath. Its tempting to get stuck in as soon as the pack is opened but the best things come to those who wait, like a good wine, open the pack and leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes where it will begin to "sweat". It is at this point the flavour and aroma as well as texture will be at their best.

2. Pair it up, Spanish ham and Manchego cheese go together like English fish and chips and don't be afraid of introducing fruit and good red wine to any good ham or cured Spanish tenderloin.

For more information on cured Spanish cured meats, tapas recipes, tips, advice and online shop visit www.orceserranohams.com

The new range of Iberian sliced meats is available mid February 2011

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Chorizo with Mussels and White Wine

Spanish chorizo isn't one of those things you would immediatly pair with seafood but throw in some ripe vine tomatoes, sprinkle of smoked paprika and some white wine with a couple of kilos of fresh mussels and you end up with some Spanish flavour that really works.

Mussels work with heat, not just from the pan but on the spice front as well so hot smoked paprika (just a little) gives you that smokey flavour with a slight chili hit, accompanied by tomatoes you have a salsa which the picante chorizo will love ~ just accompany with plenty of fresh crusty bread to mop up all that juice and you have a dish worthy of a light lunch between friends, a starter or dare we say it (and if your a serious mussel fan) a main course...

Ingredients:

2kg Fresh mussels, cleaned
2 Hot chorizo sausages (chorizo picante), sliced
5 Large vine tomatoes, chopped (400g tinned, plum tommies are also good)
1 Small onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves of garlic, diced
Pinch hot smoked paprika
Pinch cracked black pepper
250ml white wine
Broadleaf parsley to garnish
Olive oil

How to cook:

1. Add a splash of olive oil in the bottom of your Spanish "olla" or cooking pot.

2. Gently fry the garlic and chorizo until they begin to turn brown then add the onion and fry for another 2 minutes.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes, season with pepper and paprika and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Pour in the white wine and reduce until you end up with a salsa consistency.

5. Add the mussels, mix well in the salsa and place the lid on the pan.

6. Cook for 5 minutes before serving hot garnished with roughly chopped parsley, discard any mussels that have not opened.

8. Enjoy with fresh crusty bread.

More recipes for mussels

Spanish chorizo & Sausages


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Chorizo in Apple and Cider

Chorizo tapas...the chorizo is perhaps one of Spain's most famous exports, a sausage known throughout the world and "typically Spanish". There are so many varieties of chorizo sausage in various guises but for this recipe we need some good old locally made, fresh chorizo, not too firm but mildly cured for a sweet and spicy tapas treat.

Chorizo and apple go well together, one of the more popular recipes is chorizo and apple kebabs, great for the barbeque ideally but for tapas indoors, starters or something a little different out the frying pan try the same pairing with the addition of cider and a hint of bay... super flavour and very easy.

The key to this recipe is simplicity and "juice", when Spanish chorizos are lightly fried in olive oil you get the fat oozing out the sausage with all that paprika, chili and Spanish flavour - ideal for cooking other ingredients, in fact it is worth retaining and popping in the fridge for a recipe the next day. Retaining bacon fat is not uncommon so why not from chorizo?

Ingredients (6 - 8 tapas)

3 Chorizo sausages
1 Apple (sweet)
300ml Asturian cider
1 Bay leaf
Olive oil

How to cook:

1. Slice the chorizo sausages into half inch segments.

2. Pour a little olive oil into a frying pan and heat.

3. Add the chorizo segments and cook for 1 minute each side over a low heat.

4. Meanwhile, slice the apple into 12 segments.

5. Add the apple, bay leaf and cider to the chorizo, turn up the heat and cook until the cider begins to thicken.

6. Serve hot with cocktail sticks.


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The Tapas Table ~ 10 Tapas Ideas

Hosting a Spanish tapas party? Try these top 10 ideas to make it go off with a bang!

Spanish tapas, almost everyone knows what they are, where they are from, what they can be and yet not even a Spaniard would dare tell you that they knew the true origin of tapas, yes there are theories but which one is the most plausible..? The Spanish tapa has, over recent years spread from Spain to bars and restaurants all over Europe. One such country where tapas have taken gastronomic bars and eateries by storm is the United Kingdom where it seems that you cannot enough of the humble Spanish “tapa”.

Another popular way of enjoying Spain’s tapas culture is to host your own tapas party, this can involve creating a whole range of plates with small bites of food and also conjuring up some famous recipes such as “Gambas al Pil Pil”, stuffed garlic mushrooms or paella. So how do you make your Spanish tapas table truly Spanish? Well there are other things to consider and with a little imagination you can really impress the guests with both hot and cold tapas recipes as well as unique ways to serve them.

1. Jamon: If you are really going to town on your tapas party consider a ham, a Serrano ham need not break the bank and always proves to be a great centerpiece, with front legs available and including a stand for under 100 euros you are already half way there with one of Spain’s most famous exports.

2. Ceramics: Spain is a very colourful country and in certain respects rustic the further inland you travel. Spanish ceramics come in many guises from bright yellows, brown terracotta’s and the traditional blue, green and white designs from the Granada region. Ceramics are inexpensive and small tapas servers all add to that “Spanish feel” of your tapas party.

3. Embutidos: Embutidos are cured meats, we have already mentioned ham but there is a wide range of Spanish cured sausages which can grace and add real flavour to your spread of food. Try some authentic chorizo’s, salchichon (cured sausages) lomo (cured pork tenderloin).

4. Paella: As with ham carved straight from the leg paella can also be served from the pan in small tapas portions, particularly handy if your having a large number of guests. To make serving the paella even more authentic there are mini 10cm paella pans which can be purchased as paella tapas servers.

5. Gazpacho Shots: A fantastic way of serving cold gazpacho soup either indoors or out, the soup is served in hollowed out cucumber “shots glasses” see recipe here

6. Salsa’s: May seem an obvious one but get the flavours going with the famous Canary island salsa or “Mojo” sauce. Served in small colourful tapas bowls mojo sauce will have guests intrigued particularly if they haven’t tried it before, just keep a good supply of bread sticks handy!

7. Mojama: Among the many seafood tapas available mojama is the king. Popular with a cold beer in Madrid this cured tuna loin should be sliced wafer thin, a truly unique flavour.

8. Cava: Set the party off with a bang, Spanish cava is inexpensive and great for greeting the guests, also try Asturian cider or to go the whole hog buy in some Spanish beers such as Cruz Campo, Mahou, Alhambra or Estrella.

9. Cazuelas: The famous terracotta dish which has a multitude of functions. Cazuelas come in a huge range of sizes and have tremendous insulation properties so can be used in the oven, on the hob and even barbeque. Ideal for serving those sizzling chili garlic prawns.

10. Crema Catalana: No not the dessert but the liqueur… Nice over ice!

For further info on tapas and a range of authentic food take a browse around the online deli and should you have any questions don't hesitate to get in touch.


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Aperitivo time

Aperitivo time...good at any time! The small hamlet of Fuente Nueva just outside the village of Orce in Granada only has a handful of full time residents, most live cave houses with the odd few residing in cortijo's. You could say that the hamlet is "muy tranquilo" most of the year - except during holiday season. Made up predominantly of cave homes the two barrios which make up Fuente Nueva are scattered with holiday caves, all of which become occupied during Easter, Summer and occasionaly for new years eve celebrations.

Our own neighbours arrive four times a year, from Barcelona and Madrid the family turns up for a couple of weeks to enjoy some time off. From one end of the spectrum to the other coming somewhere as quiet as this from the capital. Its normally around two in the afernoon that you hear a cry "Aperitivo!", a small metal table is laid out under the largest tree in the garden for shade and is covered in all manner of tapas, olives, jamon, chorizo and seafood.

The kids are usually creating havoc somewhere nearby in the campo while us adults sit down for a cerveza or two and a bite to eat. This happens every day for the duration of their stay, a very friendly affair and something to look forward to whenever the "vecinos" turn up. Plus of course there is nothing quite like a free cold beer in the sun on a weekday afternoon...

From a foodie point of view there is always something going on in the background, the bbq usually lit with escalivada roasting away and a batch from the day before being peeled by someone having been wrapped up in newspaper - Spanish tip of the day: wrap the veg for your escalivada in newspaper as it makes the skins infinately easier to peel off!

Chorizo and other sausages presented in a good selection of small tapas bowls come from Orce (carniceria de Julian) and occasionaly the market town of Huescar where you can find a small indoor market boasting fruit and veg stalls, fish shops and no less than four butchers, all of whom sell the same cured meats, hams and chorizo etc. You would think that competition would be fierce but in true Spanish style it is all very relaxed, even looking after each others store fronts while the other takes a break.

Below is one such carniceria, "secadero Ovalo" is a long established family run business with their signature "lomo de orza" (lightly fried pork tenderloin preserved in extra virgin olive oil) is always on display. There chorizo isn't half bad either with a nice sweet variety available, a favourite with the locals.

Discover more about Orce Serrano Hams suppliers (click on the image above) and find out where your hams and charcuterie comes from.

Pan fried mackerel with Iberico chorizo

Mmmmm...mackerel, how healthy are these fish! After the usual visit to the local pescaderia we came home with what seemed like kilos of mackerel. The initial idea was for a main meal but given the fact that the fish we had bought were a bit on the small size (not the usual giants) a few tapas experiments followed for the Friday lunchtime menu prior to all manner of marinade ideas for later that evening.

I must admit to being a fish filleting virgin prior to moving to Andalucia, seeing the fish guy do his stuff and making it look incredibly easy made me want to set about these fresh little gems on a weekly basis, its not just the prepping up (which I enjoy) but also the fact that you can make a cracking fish stock with the leftovers - my search for a whole monkfish head continues for a seafood paella, maybe one day this summer...

A ham carving knife comes in handy (no special fish filleting weapons in our rustic cave kitchen) so the 6 small mackerel were duley filleted, bones in a Spanish olla, boiled up for the next seafood paella. Like all simple dishes something like this takes very little time, the fillets themselves take under 3 minutes pan fried in olive oil and for the chorizo twist just a minute more.

Ingredients:

2 Small mackerel (filleted)
Flour
8 Slices Iberian chorizo
Baby spinack leaves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Quick Spanish Lunch:

Dust a plate with flour and add a pinch of salt and pepper to season, mix up.

Cover the mackerel fillets in the flour, both sides.

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and add the mackerel fillets, fry for a minute or so each side until done.

Meanwhile slice the Iberian chorizo into 2mm slices.

Lay your spinach on a plate and lay the mackerel on top, throw the chorizo in the pan and fry for one minute before serving with the fish.

Garnish with lemon and drizzle with a good extra virgin.

Easter Eating

Easter time in Orce is a big event as with all of Spain, Easter also means that Orce village and our small hamlet of Fuente Nueva becomes extremly busy. There are quite a few Spanish from the North of the country who have cave holiday homes in the area many of whom have been coming here for nearly 20 years. The community is quite tight knit so everyone knows everything about everyone! When it comes to social events though we always get an invite and although we can't attend every one we do like to work hard and party harder - or should that be fiesta harder?

This year saw some neighbours arrive for a short Easter break, just a few days but just enough time to organise a get together one afternoon for a home made "Fabada Asturiana" made by another friend originaly from Asturias. Having never had a "true" Fabada Asturiana before we were very much looking forward it, after all if a chef from Asturias can't make it then who can?

The table was set for ten including the kids who were running around outside trying to find Easter eggs. The neighbours had broght presents in the form of two walkie talkies for the boys so it was a mass and very well executed operation to find the camoflauged hard boiled eggs. There is a way to eat Fabada Asturiana which was all new to us, beans first with bread then the meat accomapnied with salad. The fava beans were something we have never seen the likes of, again from a small producer in Astirias these beans were enormous...! Almost a meal in itself.

Then comes the meat, smoked chorizo, morcilla (black pud) and some ribs for good measure, all cooked to perfection. Now all we need is the recipe as long as its not a closely guarded secret we'll try and get it posted here asap.

...and then...a well earned siesta. Just the job.

Fried Chorizo in Garlic

Thankfully the sun is out which has made a change from all the rain Andalucia has been experiencing recently. Sunshine means tapas and tapas means chorizo. So for our first outdoor "finger food" this year we whipped up something so incredibly simple it takes under two minutes to make. Just enough time to pour yourself a glass of chilled fino to go with it, just the job.

Chorizo's lend themsleves to frying very well, even a chorizo "duro" (hard chorizo) works well and because they are already cured take no time at all to fry up. The addition of a simple splash of extra virgin olive oil and a clove of chopped garlic creates a real Spanish combination ~ just slice up that chorizo into thin segments and fry for 2 minutes.

Save that olive oil which is now infused with juices from the chorizo and the garlic (it will turn into paprika colour) and use it for dipping fresh crusty bread into. Quick easy and very tasty! For the more adventurous you can also use chili flakes to add some heat into mix.

Now where's that glass of fino...

Orce Fire Chorizo Challenge...

If you have enjoyed the Orce "fire" chorizo and still need your tapas a little hotter then why not try the Fire Chorizo Challenge. A trio of Orce Fire Chorizo, char-grilled tomato and pepper salsa completed with Spanish chili's (guindillas)

Serve all three together and make sure the cold beer is standing by..!

A fine bottle of red and your Orce Fire chorizo was an experience I won't forget in a hurry. I will definitely be a customer in the future." ~ Dr Colin R Barber, Isle of Man UK

The Orce fire chorizo has become extremely popular, so much so we are having to order around 30kg a week. It seems you like it HOT! If you enjoy real Spanish chorizo's then give them a try in fire/hot & sweet varieties - real authenticity from Andalucia. See how these chorizo sausages are made >>>

Spanish Chorizo Sausage

The Spanish chorizo is one of the most famous cured sausages available. There are many types to choose from including, dulce (sweet), picante (hot,) extra (large), smoked, lomo mixtures, the list goes on...! However to ultimately enjoy the best most authentic chorizo you need to go local.



Every rural Spanish village boasts one if not two "carniceria's" or butchers. In many cases these local businesses are now run by the third generation of the family and as their chorizo's are the best you can buy - just like grandma used to make...

We are lucky enough to have one such butcher in Orce village - "Julian" a true expert in every sense of the word. Established since 1982 Julian has grown his business through reputation, quality of product and service - his chorizo sausages are the best around.



Chorizo "sampler" packs: Accomodating as always Julian was more than happy to make us up some Orce chorizo sampler packs. Exclusive to serrano ham buyers if you havn't tried the Orce chorizo yet and would like a taster now is your chance! Keep an eye out in the shopping cart for further details.

View the Spanish deli >>>

Popular Spanish Recipes

Popular Spanish recipes from main meals to simple tapas. Last week we published our 200th recipe on the deli so thought it would be a good idea to see which are the most popular. There are some recipes that you would expect as well as few surprises. So here we are - The 2009 top ten Spanish recipes

1. Spanish meatballs

2. Gambas al Pil Pil

3. Morcilla

4. Paella

5. Dorada (Gilthead Bream)

6. Marinated Dogfish

7. Serrano ham croquettes

8. Iberico chorizo sandwich

9. Spicy chorizo tapas

10. Serrano ham stuffed chicken

We have two different types of Spanish meatballs in tomato sauce the other being a particularly spicy version.

To catch all the best home made Spanish recipes why not bookmark the Orce delicatessen, 5 recipes are published weekly ranging from tapas, famous Spanish dishes, local recipes from the village, winter warmers and outdoor cooking.

...and to be kept up to date on new products, ingredients, special offers and freebies sign up to the newsletter.

HAPPY COOKING!

Real Spanish Chorizos

Authentic homemade Spanish chorizos direct from Andalucia. Orce chorizos have proven very popular, especially the extra hot "Fire" chorizo. The problem is now, the locals have caught on to the Fire chorizo and are, lets say depleting the stocks!



A bit of an issue so when Julian (local family butcher) invested in a vacuum packing machine we realised a solution for both ourselves and the customer was on the horizon. In the beginning when the first batch of Fire chorizos were made most of the sausages were sent as samples to various lucky customers, the press and a few foodie friends in the UK. Feedback was very positive so the chorizos were introduced to the website.

The main problem with genuine homemade chorizos is that they cure very quickly so to receive them in prime condition was a result of placing a special order, guaranteed fresh but with a few days wait. Now though things are very different.



Each week our butcher makes us a batch of each type of chorizo. These are then hung and cured until "just right" where they are then cleverly vacuum packed for freshness. The big advantage to the consumer is that these vacuum packs can be kept refrigerated for 3 months which simply was not possible before.

Vacuum packed homemade chorizos, airtight fresh you could say!

See the Orce Fire Chorizo being made >>>