2021 Vuelta - Stage 14: Don Benito to Pico Villuercas
These riders; I gotta give them a ton of credit. It’s another mountainous stage, all within Extremadura, that includes a category-3 and two, separate, category-1 climbs, including leading up to the finish. They’ll race again tomorrow and get another needed rest day. Today’s dish is the polar opposite of the stage. It’s a simple tapas, paired with a new-to-me, simple tasty beverage that you’re all sure to love as well. Chorizo and patatas (potatoes) are ubiquitous ingredients in a myriad of tapas, so it makes sense that they’d be paired together, eventually. Smash them together with some sautéed onions and peppers and it’s a wonderful song of flavors. These are a great party snack as you can make a bunch for cheap and everyone will be happy. Pair them with a Kalimotxo (cali-mo-cho), a blend of dry, affordable, red wine and soda - a perfectly rejuvenating elixir on a very hot day. I prefer to use “Mexican-style” soda as it is made from natural cane sugar. These were a perfect pairing.
Potato and Chorizo Bites
Patatas con chorizo, adapted from Tapas, Tomás García
~2 lbs of baby potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb chorizo, sliced ½-inch thick
2 small Spanish onions
2-3 large bell peppers
1/4 cup of passata (or other tomato puree)
Clean the potatoes and simmer them whole in a medium pot of salted water, reducing the heat to a simmer after it comes to a boil. You want these potatoes to be just done, not mushy. Start monitoring around 12 minutes. A sharp knife should just slip into the potato and it should slowly pull away from the knife. Drain and set aside.
While the potatoes boil, cut your onions and peppers into rough 1 inch triangular pieces. Reserve.
Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a non-stick skillet, over medium heat. Sauté the sliced chorizo until it starts releasing its fat. Add in the onions and peppers and continue to sauté until softened.
Meanwhile, start slicing your cooked potatoes about an inch thick and toss them into the saute pan. Season everything with some salt and pepper.
Stir in the passata. Continue to cook and let the sauce thicken slightly, a few minutes. Set aside and let cool.
When ready to serve, place a potato slice on a work surface, top with a slice of onion, a slice of chorizo, another slice of onion, followed by a pepper slice. Skewer with a toothpick and repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve. These hold well at room temperature.
Kalimotxo
Dry, young red wine like a Rioja or Tempranillo
Mexican style Coca-Cola
Lemon, segmented
Fill a glass (at least 8 oz capacity) with ice. Pour in 4 oz of red wine and 3 oz of coke. Give a small squirt of the lemon wedge and throw into the glass. Mix briefly and serve!
____________________________ Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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