Crazy Foodie Stunts: chorizo

For Isabel,

My friend Isabel Laessig, founder and CEO of #SundaySupper Movement and Food and Wine Conference in addition to her own blog, Family Foodie, celebrates her birthday today so a few of us at #SundaySupper got together to mark the occasion by channeling the mission of the Sunday Supper Movement: to bring us back around the family table. Isabel certainly has been an inspiration to me, not only for her commitment to the entities she's founded but for her own dishes such as Lobster Ravioli with Shrimp Garlic Caper Sauce and Chicken Fajita Bowls.

Apple and Chorizo Crostini with Shallots and Basil #‎IsabelsBirthdayBash

Inspiration Behind the Dish

If you know Isabel at all, you know that she has a soft spot in her heart for chorizo, so I used that as a starting point for my dish. The Flavor Bible noted that apples pair well with the ingredient so I added some as well. I wanted a dish that would be quick to prepare so the host would not need to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I also wanted something that would allow party guests to carry it around with a cocktail napkin; a finger-food style hors d'oeuvre or appetizer.

Dish Details

This dish is a Crazy Foodie Stunts original

Ingredients

1 baguette, cut into slices about 1/2-inch wide
1 tablespoon plus more for brushing olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
1 9-ounce package pork chorizo
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/4 cup apple juice
Basil leaves, cut into chiffonade (for garnish)

Method

1. Toast the baguette. Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush each side of the baguette slices with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes to toast. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

2. Prepare the chorizo and apples. Heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots to sweat, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chorizo to brown and break up the chorizo with a spoon, approximately 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Deglaze the pan with apple juice, and simmer until the pan is mostly dry. To plate, spoon the chorizo onto each baguette slice, then garnish with basil.

Final Thoughts

If I got the opportunity to do this again, I'd shorten the title to just Apple and Chorizo Crostini or Apple and Chorizo Crostini with Caramelized Shallots because I used the basil as a garnish.

The picture of the plated dish above was taken outside one of the buildings in my apartment complex. When I was almost finished setting up, a couple of neighbors happened to walk by and sampled the dish. They were very complementary and inquired about my website. The dish was also liked by Mrs. Stuntman.

Join me in celebrating Isabel's Birthday with all the delicious food and drinks her #SundaySupper family prepared!

Birthday Drinks: