Chouriço à Corisco

Chouriço à Corisco is a relatively unknown simple dish of sautéed Portuguese pork sausage.   Alternatively, rather than sautéed, Chouriço à Corisco can also be made by grilling or broiling the sausage first, depending on ones preference. Very simple to make, it cooks up in a matter of minutes and makes a perfect starter or afternoon snack.  Just make sure you have bread to dip in the sauce. The sauce has a slight sweetness from the Port wine and sweet onion that counter balances the garlicky heat of the sauce. This is my personal recipe, but you can be sure there are other variations.

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

1 pound link chouriço sausage

One medium red onion, cut in ½ inch dice (about ¾ cup)

½ cup olive oil

2 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 cup Ruby Port wine

1-2 teaspoons hot paprika or sweet paprika plus hot sauce to taste

1 ½  teaspoons tomato paste

Coarse kosher salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

Method:

1.To begin making Chouriço à Corisco, heat ¼ cup olive oil into a large skillet and fry the whole link of chouriço for about 5 minutes on each side. (Alternatively, you can also grill or broil the whole link of chourico, if you prefer.) Carefully, transfer the sausage to a dish and subsequently slice cross-wise into ½- inch thick slices. Reserve.

2. Following the cooking of the sausage and subsequently using the same large skillet, add and heat the remaining olive oil to the sausage drippings. Sauté the chopped onions until glassy, about 3 minutes.

3. Mix in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Pour in the wine and stir to blend well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the sauce by half.

4. Next, stir in the paprika, tomato paste, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, add the sliced sausage to the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes to heat through. Transfer to a serving dish and serve the
Chouriço à Corisco with crusty bread to dip in the sauce. Serve hot.