Chorizo and Cheddar Pizza

Bread, when made at home, can be one of the most frugal foods out there and what a lot of people don’t seem to realise is that includes pizza. So, when you’re spending £5-6 on a “top-notch” pizza from a supermarket you’re spending far more than necessary. Even pre-made pizza bases are extortionately priced – particularly since they tend to be insipid, uninspiring imitations of what is, in reality, a very basic product. The best approach to take is to make a large amount of dough in advance, portion it out and freeze it for later use.

Chorizo is one of those luxury ingredients that can easily be made to be frightfully cost effective, particularly where pizza is concerned. Each segment needs only a thin covering in order for the full flavour of chorizo to be conveyed in full. Frugality needn’t come at the cost of flavour. Remember, a little cheddar, though delicious, is unlikely to mask the flavour of a decent spicy sausage. Instead, it backs it up with a luxurious creaminess and underlying tang which is, as you know, incredibly satisfying and a cracking addition to any pizza.

I feel I must apologise for what I have come to refer to as ‘e-mailgate’. A few days ago I accidentally sent out around 45,000 emails by republishing around 40 posts, an action I assumed wouldn’t resend notifications. How wrong I was. It wasn’t a demonic form of marketing (though it did work in that respect), simply a teething problem associated with this self-hosting business. Do forgive me!

Local connection: In this case, we picked our chorizo up from a local deli – eight slices set us back a mere 30p. It’s difficult to say no to an offer like that, particularly when the ingredient is so flavourful. Indeed, try and pick up an ‘artisan’ sausage or something similar – the supermarket “equivalent” will likely have been made in a controlled environment and taste of very little. Good food marketing consultants can help you launch your new product.

Chorizo and Cheddar Pizza {recipe}

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 ball of dough, preferably homemade

• 1 portion of tomato sauce

• 8 large slices of chorizo sausage

• 6-7 cherry tomatoes, halved

• A handful of fresh basil, ripped

• 60g mature cheddar, grated

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C. Stretch the dough out into a pizza base and spread it with the premade tomato sauce.

2. Add the chorizo, cherry tomatoes, basil and then cheddar, followed by a drizzle of oil and seasoning.

3. Cook in the oven for around 10-15 minutes, until golden and crispy. Enjoy with a side salad – I recommend rocket and watercress.

Cost: As previously stated, dough is exceedingly cheap and chorizo, when bought cleverly, can be had for less than 50p! As such, this pizza, despite having a touch of decadence, should set one back no more than around £1.70 – impressive!