Braised Chorizo...and a Sparkling Rosé Cocktail

I am a love of many things Spanish: paella, Manchego cheese, sherry, Licor 43, Barcelona...and Antonio Banderas. So I was excited to see a couple of recipes in Martha Stewart Living that seemed right up my Iberian alley.

The drink turned out wonderfully (and I can't wait to use some of the leftover bay syrup in other cocktails--maybe a Tom Collins or a Lemon Drop martini), but the braised chorizo was just so-so. Seemed like a lot of work for a final product that wasn't much more flavorful than the original chorizo itself. I'll be sticking to plain ol' chorizo from now on (and no complaints there), but will go ahead and post the recipe so you can try it if you'd like.

Sparkling Rosé with Bay Leaf Syrup
From Martha Stewart Living

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 dried bay leaves
Sparkling rosé, preferably Spanish cava

Bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, add bay leaves, and let stand for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves.

Pour 2 teaspoons syrup and 1/2 cup rosé into glass, and stir.


Braised Chorizo
From Martha Stewart Living
Serves 12 as an appetizer.

1 pound dried Spanish chorizo, casings removed and pricked several times with a fork
1 bottle dry red wine, such as Rioja
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 sprigs fresh oregano, plus more for garnish
4 strips orange zest (each about 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide)

Place all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. (Wine should come halfway up sides of chorizo.) Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer, flipping chorizo once, until sausage is tender and liquid has been reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Discard oregano sprigs.

Cut chorizo diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and arrange on plates. Drizzle with braising liquid, and garnish with additional oregano sprigs.