This salad was loosely adapted from a salad from Tim Hayward’s book, Food DIY. His version called on the use of lardons and lemon with a serving of bitter greens, whereas I used chorizo and lime.

I love chorizo in all its forms. While living in Los Angeles, I often enjoyed Mexican chorizo with eggs at breakfast. The fat from the chorizo would not only offer its golden-orange stain to the eggs, but more importantly its spicy flavor. Longanisa, the Filipino version of chorizo, undoubtedly influenced by the Spanish during colonization, was a freezer-pantry staple in my mother’s kitchen. It’s sweeter than Mexican and Spanish chorizo, which makes it a good accompaniment to salty-savory dishes like fried rice. And although I don’t have frequent access to Filipino or Mexican chorizo, I’m thankful to have access to the cured Spanish variety. I don’t even need to go very far for my fix, just a trip to our local market, as Spanish chorizo has become more available in in Berlin the recent past. The Spanish variety is different from the Filipino and Mexican varieties in that it is fully cured and can be eaten as is, which I often do.  I also often use it for added flavor in cooked dishes. You can find it in a variety of heat intensities, and since it’s cured, it keeps (unopened) in the pantry until you’re ready for it.

For this dish I julienned the chorizo, although thin rounds or half-moon shapes also work. If you decide to julienne the chorizo, you might find that this can be a challenging task because of its fat content. However, putting the chorizo in the freezer for about 20 minutes can help make the task of slicing them much easier.  You can use raw chorizo for this dish, as well – in this case, just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Chicory & Chorizo Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 heads of chicory (endive)
• two knobs (1 ½” each) of cured Spanish chorizo
• 1 lime

Instructions

1. Place the strips of chorizo in a skillet and turn the heat onto medium-high. As the chorizo sizzles, it will release its orange-hued fat. Cook the chorizo until slightly crispy, about 5 minutes. Remember the chorizo will get crispier as it cools.
2. Meanwhile, slice the chicory crosswise, and divide it between two salad plates.
3. Once the chorizo is done, turn off the heat, and scatter them evenly among to the two plates, leaving the vibrant-colored oil in the pan.
4. Squeeze the lime into the hot pan, (careful – it will sizzle), and give the pan a good swirl. Then drizzle this dressing evenly over the plates.   Enjoy immediately.