Sobrasada Peperonata
By Donna Ross
Sobrasada is an air-dried sausage that's similar to chorizo in flavour, but a soft, spreadable consistency. It's often served on bread as a tapas or snack, but here I cooked it with peperonata-style stew to make an accompaniment for corn fritters. The sweet version is very mild, I daresay mild enough for the normally spice-averse.
2 banana shallots, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
200g orange or red peppers, cut into strips
200g sobrasada (sweet or spicy), skin removed
Half a teaspoon of hot paprika (optional)
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
200g tomatoes, chopped (fresh or half a tin)
100ml red wine
Fry the shallots in a little oil until soft and beginning to turn golden, about 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a few more minutes. Add the sobrasada and break up with a spatula or wooden spoon so it breaks down in the pan. Add the paprika and chilli if you prefer a spicier chorizo hit. Fry over a medium to high heat so that the sobrasada begins to give off some oil. Add the tomatoes, peppers and wine anmd give everything a good stir round. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Leave to stew for about 30 minutes so the peppers and tomatoes have softened and mingled with the sobrasada to produce a thick, sweetly spiced sauce.
I think this is perfect served with corn fritters, but you could also serve it spread thickly on toast, tossed through some pasta, alongside brown rice or as a filling for enchiladas.
Corn fritters (adapted - barely - from Nigel Slater for the Guardian)
2 ears of corn (or one tin of corn when the sweetcorn season has ended)
A tablespoon of self raising flour
2 eggs, carefully separated
Strip the kernels from the corn and place in a bowl. Add the flour and egg yolks, and some salt and pepper, and mix well. In a separate bowl, whip up the egg whites until stiff. Fold the whites into the corn mixture. Fry large spoonfuls of the batter in a frying pan (butter is indulgent and delicious, but they're none the worse for frying in sunflower oil), turning after a few minutes when the bottoms are golden.