My boyfriend is away this week enjoying some Californian rain and cloudy skies which means the following:
1. I have total control of the remote control. 2. I get an extra half hour in bed in the morning.3. I can have a salad to eat in the evening without him complaining.
This is a pretty hearty salad though with a good helping of meat (in the form of chorizo) and carbs (in the form of new potatoes).
The chorizo I used was from The Bath Pig, a fantastic company that I found at the Real Food Festival a couple of weeks ago. The team behind The Bath Pig love their cured meats, so much so that they started making their own and have produced a top-notch range of British chorizo. In addition to a normal chorizo and a spicy chorizo, they also produce a garlic and herb chorizo which is, frankly, intriguing. I fell in love with it when I tried it and this salad is the perfect showcase for the delicate flavour. This salad is also ridiculously easy and makes a perfect weeknight supper (if, that is, your boyfriend considers salad an appropriate evening meal).
I don't tend to dress salads myself and this salad doesn't really need it as the chorizo gives out plenty of oil. I think, however, you need a touch of acidity to bring the flavours to life and to cut through the heaviness of the chorizo so I finished it with a quick squeeze of lemon just before serving.
Warm chorizo and new potato salad (serves 2)200g potatoes100g chorizo1 tbsp olive oilSalad leaves of preference (I used a mixture of lamb's lettuce, spinach, red chard and grated beetroot)1/2 lemonSea salt
1. Wash the potatoes, peel them if so inclined (I'm not) and chop into bitesize chunks. Bring a saucepan of slightly salted water to the boil and add the potatoes. Cook for 10-15 minutes until soft. 2. While the potatoes are cooking, chop the chorizo up into small pieces. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the chorizo. Fry for 5-10 minutes until the chorizo starts giving out oil. 3. When the potatoes are cooked, drain well and add to the frying pan. Cook the chorizo and potato together for 5 minutes. 4. Place your salad leaves on the plate and sprinkle the chorizo and potato on top. Finish with a squeeze of lemon.