Shortcut Paella and Spanish Chorizo Type

Question

I'm looking at the Shortcut Paella recipe from the September-October 2023 issue.  The first ingredient is "4 oz. Spanish chorizo, casings removed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced."  Then the first step is to cook this chorizo for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned before adding all the other ingredients.  My questions is, is this cured Spanish chorizo that you can eat straight out of the packaging without cooking (which makes me wonder about cooking it in step 1), or is it raw sausage that would obviously need to be cooked as described (but probably wouldn't hold its thinly sliced shape very well in the process)?  Thanks!

Lynn Clark · Accepted Answer

Hi Daniel -
Spanish chorizo is sold cured and smoked so, yes, it's already cooked. In this recipe, we are slicing and cooking it for 5 minutes in order to release some of the oil from the chorizo, which serves as the flavor base of the paella. Since the chorizo has such an abundance of oil in it, it won't dry out while it cooks for that short time.
Best,
The Milk Street Cooking Team

Shortcut Paella and Spanish Chorizo Type

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