smithsocksimon

I finally tired of root vegetables, which, with the occasional exception, are all that have been available from the farmers’ market in the past couple of months. So bearing in mind the cut-price supermarket pork chops that were in the fridge, I picked up some Spanish sweet paprika¹, red peppers, tinned tomatoes and fresh basil from Markthalle Trivisano, Winterthur’s excellent Italian delicatessen (and local home to The British Cheese Centre of Switzerland).

The paprika was a gamble. It’s not a spice I’ve used very often, never in the case of the sweet version. The result was delicious.

Marinate the pig in a mixture of paprika (I’m guessing about two tablespoons for the meat from four supermarket-size chops), a squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Meanwhile roast two red peppers for about 30 minutes at 220°C, turning once, until the skins turn black and started to blister. Put the peppers into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to cool.

Once cool, peel, deseed and chop the peppers. (You can use the peppers skin-on and raw, but I feel roasting gives a fuller flavour — and no irritating bits of skin.)

Fry a sliced onion in a little olive oil until it starts to soften, add some sliced chorizo (or other cured sausage) and the pork and cook, stirring, until the pork starts to brown. Add the chopped peppers and tinned tomatoes and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, enough time to cook some rice. Stir in some torn basil leaves, season and serve with the rice or some crusty bread.

¹ Why does paprika always come in the most beautiful tins?