Chorizo and Strawberry Bruschetta with Basil
I found a new duo that comes close to perfection: chorizo and strawberry. It's an unexpected match, the fruity sweetness and slightly hot, porky sausage merge beautifully, as if they had just been waiting to meet.
It started as a quick snack while we were cooking, we filled our glasses with our favourite summer wine and looked in the fridge to see what we could nibble on while chopping and stirring the ingredients for our dinner. The red sausage and berries caught my man's attention and - in these moments he's a little more brave than me - he sandwiched them and stuffed a rather large portion of it in my mouth. We immediately discussed what we could do with this new find. A salad? I'm not a big fan of meat in my salad. Pasta? I don't like the combination of pasta and strawberries. I tried it, but it just tastes wrong. An open sandwich seemed like the right answer, a golden Italian bruschetta drizzled with good olive oil, crowned with thick slices of the peppery salami and juicy berries. Some fresh basil, salt, and pepper, and you have the perfect snack for summer on your plate.
Chorizo and Strawberry Bruschetta with Basil
Serves 2-4
medium baguette, sliced, 1
olive oil
chorizo (salami, not fresh chorizo sausage) 1/2 ring, about 150g / 5 ounces
ripe strawberries, cut in half, about 18
fresh basil leaves, a small handful
peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
flaky sea salt
To roast the bread, set the oven to broil (grill). If your oven doesn't have a broil setting, toast the baguette in a hot cast iron pan.Brush the baguette on both sides with olive oil and, if using your oven, spread them on a baking sheet and roast for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown, but not burnt. If you use a pan, in batches, spread the bread in the pan and toast on both sides until golden.
Depending on the size of your bread, pile up 2 slices of chorizo and 2-3 strawberry halves on each bruschetta. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with basil, crushed pepper, and salt. Enjoy!
meet in your kitchen | Golden Calamari with Chorizo and the Meridiana Wine Estate
The "kitchen" I visited for today's meet in your kitchen feature creates the completion of every fine meal, wine! When I thought about all the culinary places I wanted to visit and write about during my time in Malta I knew that a vineyard would definitely be one of them. My choice was easily made as for years I've enjoyed Meridiana's wines, a winery that lifted the quality and the international image of Maltese wine to another level. Their Isis made from Chardonnay grapes is one of my favourite white wines and the Fenici Red is a beautiful, velvety red wine made of Syrah and Merlot, just the thought of it makes me wish I had another bottle of it in the house!
Meridiana is a boutique winery, all the grapes used for the nine different labels grow on Maltese ground. The production only reaches 140,000 bottles a year, most of their wines are sold out before the following vintage's release. Unfortunately, only a few countries are lucky to be on the wine estate's export list and Germany isn't one of them. I bought a few bottles after my visit and I will definitely have some shipped to my own kitchen for a little taste of Malta in my glass when I feel like.
Compared to Italian or French wine estates, Meridiana's history is relatively young. In 1985, a Bordeaux oenologist convinced Mark Miceli-Farrugia that Malta's climate and soil offered all a high quality wine needs, a produce that didn't exist on the market at that point. Two years later, Meridiana Wine Estate was established but it took another 8 years and lots of patience and persistence to be rewarded with the first harvest of a limited quantity of red and white wine between 1995/96. During those first ten years, Meridiana experimented with various kinds of grapes and acquired a 19-hectare site in Malta's agricultural heartland below the city of Mdina. The partnership with one of the oldest winemaking families in the world helped the young winemakers to fulfill their vision. Marchese Piero Antinori joined in in 1992 and brought in his family's experience in winemaking gained over hundreds of years all over the world (Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Winemakers Guild of Florence in 1385).
I spent a few wonderful hours on the estate with Karl Chetcuti, my knowledgable host, who showed us around the fermentation tanks, the cellar filled with old oak barrels and we tasted some wines which we hadn't tried yet. We spoke so much about wine but also about the best places to buy fish, restaurants, bakeries and our favourite butchers. Before we left, Karl mentioned his favourite recipe for calamari, fried in rings and served with spicy chorizo on the side. On one of the following nights, we opened a bottle of chilled Isis and took his advice. We threw a few calamari in hot garlicky oil and ate them with thinly sliced chorizo, it's a great combination of spice and sea!
If you would like to visit Meridiana and learn more about winemaking just get in touch with Karl at meridiana.com.mt!
Golden Calamari with Chorizo
For 2 people you need
big calamari tubes, cut into slices, 4
chorizo, very thinly sliced, 70g / 2.5 ounces
plain flour
garlic, quartered, 1 big clove
olive oil
lemon 1/2
optional: small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced, 1
On a large plate, dust the calamari with flour, they should be coated with a thin layer.
In a large heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil with the garlic. Add the calamari and fry for 2 minutes, stirring gently. Don't overcook them or they will become hard.
Arrange the chorizo and fried calamari on a large plate (and the optional slices of fennel), sprinkle the rings with a little freshly squeezed lemon juice and serve with a glass of chilled, fruity white wine.
