Chorizo cheese puffs

Name: Chorizo cheese puffs
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 30
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 100g white bread flour; 2 tsp sweet paprika; 1 clove garlic, mashed; 100g pieces of chorizo or salami, finely chopped; 1 tsp butter; 1/2 tsp chilli flakes; 1 tsp chopped rosemary; 100ml red wine; 3 eggs (60g each); 50g grated parmesan; 50g grated cheddar; more parmesan to finish

September 9, 2014

Get the party started with these cheesy-chorizo morsels.William Meppem

Time:30 mins - 1 hourMakes:30

These party snacks freeze well, so if your home cocktail hour is usually last-minute, it's good to have a stash on hand. If you want to make the puffs vegetarian, replace the chorizo with some dark, salty, firm black olives (pitted and chopped).

Ingredients

100g white bread flour
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 clove garlic, mashed
100g pieces of chorizo or salami, finely chopped
1 tsp butter
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp chopped rosemary
100ml red wine
3 eggs (60g each)
50g grated parmesan
50g grated cheddar
more parmesan to finish

Method

Step 1
Measure the flour and paprika into a small bowl, and line a tray with non-stick paper or foil. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan forced.
Step 2
Put the garlic, chorizo and butter in a saucepan and cook until it starts to sizzle. Reduce the heat and cook for about five minutes until the fat has rendered off. Scoop out the chorizo and leave the fat in the pan. Stir in the chilli and rosemary then add the wine and bring to the boil.
Step 3
Tip in the flour and paprika then beat well over the heat until it comes away from the sides. Leave to cool for a few minutes then spoon into a mixing bowl and crack in the first egg. Using an electric whisk beat on high for a few minutes until the mixture is quite smooth. Then beat in the remaining eggs one at a time until smooth and glossy. Finally stir in all the cheese and chorizo.
Step 4
Spoon or pipe mounds of the mixture on to the tray, about the size of a large olive, spaced five centimetres apart, then top each with a pinch of additional grated parmesan. (Tip: At this point you can freeze the puffs. Later, when they are first removed from the freezer, they can be stored in a zip-lock bag for up to a couple of months. Alternately, just place them from the freezer, back on the tray, thaw, and go to step 5.)
Step 5
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until golden and puffed.