Mexican-style chorizo recipe

Hugh uses pork shoulder and belly to make his own spicy Mexican-style chorizo - a flexible accompaniment that's as good with scrambled eggs as in stews.

Makes 1.5kg

Ingredients

• 1kg pork shoulder, coarsely minced
• 500g pork belly, coarsely minced
• 30g salt
• 25g sweet paprika
• 25g smoked paprika
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
• Small handful fennel seeds
• 2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• Small glass of red wine

Method: How to make Mexican-style chorizo

1. Combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly with your hands. Transfer to a plastic tub, seal and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Every couple of days, pour off any salty liquid that has leached out and add an extra pinch of salt. Keep for up to two weeks.

2. To make my favourite version of surf and turf, make a dozen little patties from the chorizo and fry for about five minutes at a gentle sizzle over a medium heat. Then whack up the heat and add to the pan a few, super-fresh plump scallops. They need barely a minute on either side. To serve, tumble the fried scallops and chorizo onto a bed of mixed salad leaves.

3. Scallops may be a special occasion luxury, but this chorizo works just as well spicing up cheap everyday snacks such as scrambled eggs.