Squid, Chorizo & Baby Potato Salad with Lemon Oil

I am SO excited that I found a new fishmonger locally to me! I am so delighted as I rarely get the time to go to Billingsgate Fish Market for good supplies of fresh squid! I bought two large ones. You can easily make this dish with frozen squid rings though - which you can buy pretty much anywhere.

This is a simple salad which packs a huge punch of flavour and will leave your taste buds so happy! And it doesn't take long to cook. And its easy peasey.

Ingredients:

2 squid, cleaned and sliced
100g cooking chorizo, sliced
400g baby potatoes, halved
1 red pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chilli, sliced (optional)
90g rocket, baby leaf or pea shoot salad leaves

For the Lemon oil:

1 lemon
60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil

Method;

To make the lemon oil, pare the rind off the lemon in large bits, making sure to avoid the white pith underneath the skin. Put into a saucepan with the oil and heat until hot but not boiling. Take off the heat and leave to cool. Chill.

Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and cover with a tea towel.

Put the chorizo into a pan and cook for about 6-8 mins, stirring. The oil should release from the chorizo, but if you need a little more, add 1 tsp. oil. Then add the pepper and onions and stir fry for five minutes, adding the garlic (and chilli, if using) for the last minute. Then add the squid and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add a little black pepper and taste to see if it needs salt.

To serve, place the salad leaves on a plate. Add the potatoes to the pan with the chorizo mix and stir through, off the heat. Add the chorizo & squid mix on top of the salad. Drizzle with the lemon oil and serve. Delicious!

Cajun Style Sausage Stew

Sorry I have been so quiet recently.. After a spell of illness, I then decided to go on a diet, as I feel I have been sampling too many of my own recipes! I am actually still on this diet until Friday night, so I will give you a dish I made last week for The Bloke. 

Its definitely April showers here in London, and along with the rain, is cold. Salads are not really the time or the place. But a stew IS. So here I have made a Cajun Style Sausage Stew. I made loads so he could re-heat it on days where I was being all good. All he had to do was cook some orzo. Or rice would be good too! Or mashed buttery potatoes.

Ingredients:

6 large sausages
12 bacon wrapped chipolatas
1 tbsp. oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 chilli, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. chilli flakes
3 tbsp. flour
500ml chicken stock (cube is fine)
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
400g tin chopped tomatoes
salt & pepper
spring onion, chopped, to serve


Method:

Set the oven to 200 C and put the large sausages in a large tray. Cook for 12 minutes. Then add the chipolata sausages and continue to cook both for a further 30 mins. Remove from oven and set to one side (on kitchen paper to drain any excess fat).

In a large pan, add the oil, onions and peppers. Cook for about 12-15mins until softened. Then add the chilli and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the paprika, thyme and chilli flakes and stir through. Now add the flour and cook for 1 minute while making sure the flour is coating everything.

Add the stock, about 100ml to start and mix well. Then add the remaining stock with the chopped tomatoes and season with salt & pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the sausages, half cover with a lid on simmer, and leave for about 20 minutes. The sauce will be thick and delicious, ready to be served with pasta (I used orzo), rice or mashed potatoes. Filling, comforting and very tasty! Garnish with a little chopped spring onion, if liked.

 

Note: This amount makes enough for about 6 servings