Chorizo jam, chorizo chutney, I don’t care what you call it but it’s earned a permanent place in my fridge. On crackers, with cheese, in sausage sandwiches, on burgers, in bacon butties, starting off a tomato sauce… A spoonful in corned beef hash, mixed in sweet potato mash, served with scallops. You can make it as fine dining or as ‘last minute picnic’ as you want, but there is no arguing over the incredible flavour it brings.

Can we scratch all the times I’ve said “if you make one recipe on my blog, this has to be it”? Because, really this has to be the first one you try.

Chorizo jam is for the meat lover, the chutney hoarder, the cheese board hogger. It packs a savoury punch wherever you spread it and hey, if you decide to just eat it straight off the spoon, you won’t be alone in that…

I feel like I should dedicate this meat lovers recipe to Matt – the man who thinks a meal isn’t complete without a hunk of meat on the plate. I’ve squeezed the odd veggie dish past him over the years but they never make the cut on his favourite meals list.

There are two secret ingredients in this superstar relish. The first is balsamic vinegar. You couldn’t pick it out if I fed you a spoonful, but it brings that gorgeous fruity background of aged red wine. There’s not much of it in the recipe, but once you add it, the flavours are taken up a notch.

The second is soy sauce.

“What?”

Yes, I know, it sounds peculiar to put it alongside chorizo, but with its saltiness it also brings a whole tonne of umami- that yummy savoury hit that was only actually identified back in 1908! I mean, we’d spent centuries with salty, sweet, sour and bitter, how did it take so long for us to crown the king of all tastes? This jam is brimming with it.



You’ll get one 400ml jar worth from this recipe. If you make it in single servings like this it will keep safely in the fridge for two weeks, but if you want to preserve the jam properly and stash it in the cupboard for gifting or just to see you through the year, I’ll include extra instructions for that.

I have left mine chunky but you can pulse it in a blender for a more smooth, spreadable consistency.

Don’t forget you can hit the print button if you prefer a paper copy or just copy the URL to send along to your meat loving buddies.

Chorizo Jam Recipe

Print Chorizo jam Author: A Life of Geekery Serves: 1 400ml jar Ingredients 1 Red onion, finely diced

100g Chorizo, finely diced

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp Tomato puree

¼ tsp Rosemary

¼ tsp Thyme

150ml Apple juice

1 tbsp Dark muscovado sugar

1 tsp Balsamic vinegar

½ tsp Soy sauce Method Using a small saucepan over a medium heat, add a teaspoon of oil, followed by the onion and chorizo. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme. Continue cooking for a further two minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring the pan to a gentle simmer until the mixture has reduced and the consistency thickens. Pour in to a jar and seal. Once cool the jam can be stored for 14 days in the fridge. Please see notes for instructions on preserving (for a longer lifespan) and consistency options. Notes



Consistency

If you prefer a more spreadable consistency, once cooked, add the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smoother.



Preserving

Following the method above, the chorizo jam will keep for at least 2 weeks in the fridge. If you'd like to preserve the jam for ambient storage (in a cupboard):



-ensure the jars used are properly sterilised. Instructions for sterilising jars are included in my



-process the filled jars in a canning bath for the recommended time given



Serving suggestions

On crackers, with cheese, in sausage sandwiches, on burgers, in bacon butties, starting off a tomato sauce... A spoonful in corned beef hash, mixed in sweet potato mash, served with scallops. You can make it as fine dining or as 'last minute picnic' as you want, but their is no arguing over the incredible flavour it brings. If using fresh herbs, chop them finely.If you prefer a more spreadable consistency, once cooked, add the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smoother.Following the method above, the chorizo jam will keep for at least 2 weeks in the fridge. If you'd like to preserve the jam for ambient storage (in a cupboard):-ensure the jars used are properly sterilised. Instructions for sterilising jars are included in my chilli jam recipe -process the filled jars in a canning bath for the recommended time given here On crackers, with cheese, in sausage sandwiches, on burgers, in bacon butties, starting off a tomato sauce... A spoonful in corned beef hash, mixed in sweet potato mash, served with scallops. You can make it as fine dining or as 'last minute picnic' as you want, but their is no arguing over the incredible flavour it brings. 3.3.3077