Alejandro Cooking Chorizo Hot, 4 x 250g

Spanish chorizo is a pork sausage seasoned with Spanish smoked paprika, known as pimentón. It’s typically made with coarsely chopped pork and garlic, and depending on the variety, may also include chilli for heat. The paprika gives chorizo its distinctive smoky flavour and deep red colour.

Embutidos Alejandro is a specialist producer of chorizos, based in Logroño, the capital of the region of La Rioja. The business started as a shop in the Corregidor Market in Logroño (below) in 1960 before it moved into production of chorizos in the 1970s.

Red wine. The wine needs to be able to stand up to smoke, spice, garlic and rich fattiness and the most obvious answer is Rioja, made with Tempranillo grapes. The wine brings freshness and acidity, soft tannins and vanilla notes which enhance the smokier elements. Other grapes varieties, Mencia (Bierzo wines) and Garnacha (Navarre) can also hold up to the powerful flavours.

Yes. Cooking chorizo must always be cooked thoroughly before eating. Cured chorizo does not require cooking.

Cooking chorizo is a fresh, soft sausage that must be cooked before eating. It is moist and similar in texture to a classic British sausage, releasing delicious paprika-infused red oil as it cooks. Cured chorizo, on the other hand, has been air-dried and is ready to eat. It is firm in texture and enjoyed sliced, much like salami.

As cooking chorizo cooks, it releases richly flavoured red oil infused with paprika. This oil is full of flavour and perfect for coating vegetables, potatoes or rice.

Cooking chorizo is excellent grilled, fried or barbecued. It also adds depth and richness to bean stews, soups and rice dishes. Slice or crumble it into dishes to allow its paprika oil to flavour the whole pan.