Ingredients

The following ingredients have 18 Servings
  • Unsalted butter (for the baking sheets)
  • About 9 ounces Spanish chorizo or other dry-cured pork sausage
  • Flour (for the work surface)
  • 1 pound all-butter puff pastry (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1 egg (lightly beaten with a pinch salt)
  • Mustard (for serving (optional))
  • Chutney (for serving (optional))

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and butter 2 baking sheets.
  • Cut the chorizo into 18 slices, each about 3/8 inch thick.
  • Dust your work surface with flour, then roll out the pastry into a rectangle measuring about 8 inches by 6 1/4 inches. Cut this rectangle lengthwise into 4 equal strips, each about 1 5/8 inches wide.
  • Lay 2 strips horizontally in front of you. Place a line of 9 chorizo slices along each strip, leaving 3/4 inch between each slice and 3/4 inch at either end.
  • Lightly brush the exposed pastry around the chorizo slices with the beaten egg, then cover each with a remaining strip of pastry. Seal the pastry around the chorizo by pressing delicately with your fingertips or taking a small round pastry cutter, just a tiny bit larger than the chorizo, turning it upside down so you are not using the sharp side, and then pressing it very gently around the chorizo to seal the pastry.
  • Now take a round cutter a little larger than the chorizo, and use it the right way up to stamp out 9 circles from each strip, each circle with a chorizo slice in the center. If desired, lightly brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg and, if you like, decorate the top by making little cuts with the tip of a knife, although be careful not to cut all the way through the top layer of pastry. (You can freeze the bites in a single layer in a resealable plastic bag for up to a month. There’s no need to thaw them before baking, although you may need to allow an extra 3 to 5 minutes in the oven.)
  • Place the circles on your prepared baking sheets and bake for about 15 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and crisp and golden. Let cool for a few minutes—if you can wait—before eating, either alone or with mustard or chutney, if you please.