(serves 8 tapas style)

INGREDIENTS

290g-350g (16) Medjool dates (cut in half length-wise, remove stone)

1 chorizo (cut into 4cm x 1 cm batons)

8 rashers rindless middle bacon

Piquillo Pepper Tomato Sauce

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°C

Open up dates, place one chorizo baton into each date and close date around baton.

Cut bacon into sixteen 7cm-9cm lengths or long enough to wrap around dates. Wrap strip of bacon around each date.

Divide Piquillo Pepper Tomato Sauce evenly into 8 Spanish tapas dishes or equivalent. (We use 11.5cm diameter tapas dishes.) Place 2 prepared dates, seam-side down, into each dish, making sure the sauce comes halfway up the side of each date. 

Place into preheated oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is golden and crispy and sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and serve with a fork.

Piquillo Pepper and Tomato Sauce

(makes 450ml)

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion (finely diced)

2 garlic cloves (crushed)

400g canned crushed or diced tomatoes in their juice

½ teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika

75g (3-4) piquillo peppers (drained) (available in jars in speciality section of supermarkets)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

grind freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Pour oil into a small heavy-based saucepan set over medium heat. Heat until hot and add onion.  Reduce temperature to low and cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft.  Avoid browning.

Add garlic and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

Add tomatoes, paprika, piquillo peppers, sugar, salt and pepper.  Bring to the boil and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for 5-7 minutes or until sauce is thick.  (A larger quantity will take longer to cook.)

Remove from heat; pour into a food processor fitted with a metal blade and puree until smooth.

Set aside to serve with Chorizo-Stuffed Medjool Dates.