Smoked Chorizo and Burnt Brussel Sprouts
We joined up with Polly Markus to create delicious recipes using our Freedom Farms goodies.
This recipe is an ode to the beautiful way smoky, spice-rich Freedom Farms Smoked Pork Chorizo marries with the bittersweet vibrancy of Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts are cute wee things – like cabbages in miniature. But what’s even cuter – which you might not know if you haven’t seen them growing – is that they grow in clusters up the stem of the plant,
Even though brussels sprouts have undergone a reputation rehabilitation over the last few years and are featured on the menu of fancy restaurants, they’re still often shunned from home cooking. While people are happy to embrace the budding brassica in public, they still whisper insults behind their backs. This must stop.
Cooked right the brussels sprout is a savoury sensation that can carry an entire dish on it’s own. The brussels sprout is not merely a side dish.
This recipe celebrates the way the way brussels sprout absorb flavours – in this case the delicious smokiness of the chorizo – and will caramelise when cooked on a high heat. It’s a beautiful warming dish, great for the winter months.
This recipe serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1 packet Freedom Farms Smoked Pork Chorizo
- Olive oil
- ½ brown onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 large stem of kale
- 400g brussels sprouts
- 400g can butter beans, drained
- Zest of 1 medium lemon
- 1/3 cup water
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ¼ cup pesto
Method
- Slice the chorizo, set a large work over medium heat and add some oil. Fry the chorizo over medium heat until charred and crispy.
- While the chorizo is cooking, dice the onion and garlic. Remove the kale leaves from the stem and roughly chop. Slice the brussels sprouts in half.
- Remove the chorizo from the pan, reserving the oil in the wok, then add the onion. Fry for 4 minutes until softened (don’t let it burn), then add the garlic and half the lemon zest. Let this cook for a minute then add the drained butter beans, a splash more oil and some pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the brussels sprouts to the pan with a splash of oil and the water plus the remaining lemon zest, turn the heat up, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- By this point the water should have evaporated. Add a splash more oil, the kale and lemon juice and stir well.
- Once the kale starts to wilt, stir through the pesto and cooked chorizo.
- Plate it up on a large platter and serve with some fresh sourdough.