• Recipe Yield: 6
Bacon Wrapped Chorizo Filled Dates

Source: Powerhouse Productions / Powerhouse Productions

Recipe Courtesy of Chef JJ Johnson

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 shallots, minced
  • 8 ounces (about 1 cup) roasted red peppers with any juices (or use any roasted red peppers)
  • 1 28-ounce can, whole peeled canned tomatoes (i.e. San Marzano)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 16 Medjool dates (pitted)
  • 8 ounces of fresh chorizo sausage (not cured), casings removed
  • 8 slices bacon

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and tomatoes and cook on low heat for about 1 hour, or until the liquid in the sauce has mostly evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Let the sauce cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and process until smooth. Thin with warm water to reach desired consistency if necessary. You want a thick sauce but not so thick that it mounds on the plate.
  3. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Stuff the dates with chorizo, using about 1⁄2 tablespoon of chorizo per date. Cut bacon slices in half lengthwise and wrap a slice around each date.
  5. Place stuffed dates on a small baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, or until the chorizo is cooked through. Then turn the broiler to high and broil for 2 to 4 minutes, or until bacon is dark brown and crisp.
  6. Place sauce in a warmed shallow bowl, inside a platter and place the dates around the bowl and serve.