Fried Black Pudding

Spanish morcilla - black pudding - is the first sausage to be made from the freshly killed pig and is very popular throughout Spain. It is flavored with spices and herbs, usually including garlic and oregano, and has a wonderfully rich, spicy taste.

• Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 8 oz morcilla (black pudding ), cut into 12 thick slices
• 12 slices of French bread
• 2 tablespoons fino sherry
• Sugar, to taste
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Chopped fresh oregano, to garnish

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the sliced onion, garlic, oregano and paprika for 7-8 minutes until the onion is softened and has turned golden brown.

Add the slices of black pudding, then increase the heat and cook them for 3 minutes, without stirring. Turn them over carefully with a spatula and cook for a further 3 minutes until crisp.

Arrange the rounds of bread on a large serving plate and to each with a slice of black pudding. Stir the sherry into the onions and add a little sugar to taste.

Heat, swirling the mixture around the pan until bubbling, then season with salt and black pepper.

Spoon a little of the onion mixture on top of each slice of black pudding. Scatter the oregano over, and serve.

See also...

The best tapas recipes at Easy-tapas-recipes.com!

Tapas are Spain's greatest food invention. "Eat when you drink, drink when you eat" is the philosophy. Spanish men traditionally drink outside the home and rarely alone. They are not meant to be a meal (although a ración is a substantial portion). One tapa per person and a different one with each drink is the idea, then everyone enjoys tasting and sharing.