Sausage seems to be the hardest work...

Home made Chouriço in its raw state

....It doesn´t have to be when you discover Tupperware chouriço.

I've long been wanting to make my own chouriço from scratch, but how? The answer came in the form of a man called Fearnley Whittingstall.So the time has come.

 "Cooking" chouriço, which is quite soft and lightly cured, is very different to the firm, dry, long-cured "slicing" sausage.They both have separate roles to play.The former contributes to rice dishes,perfectly partners shellfish and squid and is great with eggs, potatoes bread or chicken.The latter forms a perfect contribution to a tapas feast or platter of cold cuts.

For the chouriço

750g pork belly, coarsely minced
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika (pimenton dulce)
2 tsp hot smoked paprika (pimenton picante)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp sea salt
1½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
50ml red wine
Freshly ground black pepper

Mix together all the ingredients for the chouriço, cover and refrigerate overnight. Divide the mixture into six, place a piece between two sheets of baking parchment and press with the bottom of a pan until it's about 5-7mm thick. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and chill for 30 minutes.

To make the chouriço, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, make a small patty of the mixture and fry on each side for a few minutes, until cooked through. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly - the flavours develop as the mix matures, so go easy. Cover and store in a tupperware container in the fridge for at least 24 hours (and up to a week). You won't need more than a handful  to add that spicy, savoury bite to all manner of dishes.

"The whole sweet, salty, spicy pile, running with paprika- and garlic-flavoured oily juices from the highly spiced sausage, was attacked with fingers and bread".

          "It was, and is, unbelievably good".

"Eat with chunks of bread to mop up the juices"