After the somehow traditional Hazelnut Panna Cotta with Pinot Noir Strawberries recipe by Courtney Sproule of Din Din supper club, here's an edgier offering by Olympic Provisions from The Mighty Gastropolis Portland (Chronicle Books. 2012) by Karen Brooks with Gideon Bosker and Teri Gelber.
Savory Chorizo Doughnuts
It takes a certain diabolical freedom to put spicy chorizo and scallions in addictive little puffs of fried dough, and call it a “doughnut.” That’s Olympic Provisions. Consider these your perfect party poppers—light, airy, irresistible, and very easy to make. Salumi lord Elias Cairo makes three kinds of Spanish-style chorizos, but here, he favors the cayenne-flecked Navarre because it “packs the most punch.” Buy them at the shop or online, or substitute your favorite chorizo.
Makes 4 dozen
1⁄4 lb/115 g Spanish-style chorizo, finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup/240 ml water
3⁄4 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup/115 g all-purpose flour
3 eggs, at room temperature
3⁄4 cup finely chopped scallions
Pinch of piment d’Espelette
4 cups/960 ml vegetable oil, for frying
1. In a small skillet, cook the chorizo in the olive oil over medium heat to release the fat, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Meanwhile, pour the water into a medium saucepan and add the salt. Place a strainer over the pan of water and strain the chorizo, letting the oil drip into the water. Set the chorizo aside.
3. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the flour all at once, and reduce the heat immediately to low. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dough constantly, until it begins to stick to bottom of the pan, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Using a spatula, scrape the dough into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. On low speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Blend another minute until the dough is smooth and wet. Fold in the chorizo, scallions, and piment d’Espelette.
5. In a medium saucepan or deep-fryer, heat the vegetable oil to 385°F/195°C. Form 1-tsp-size balls of dough and carefully drop in the oil, one at a time. Cook a minute or so until very light golden and cooked all the way through. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel–lined plate. Serve warm.
(* Recipe from The Mighty Gastropolis Portland by Karen Brooks with Gideon Bosker and Teri Gelber- Chronicle Books, Fall 2012- reproduced by permission, all rights reserved….Photo of Salami at Olympic Provisions meat department)