Scotch Olives

This is a great recipe from Food and Drink Holiday 2014 that I tried.  I have made Scotch eggs before and this is an interesting version of that theme.  If you can’t find fresh Chorizo sausage, use the best sausage you can purchase.

3 Tbsp olive oil
9 medium size garlic cloves
18 medium size pitted green olives
375 g fresh chorizo sausage (about 3)
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
Chopped parsley to garnish

• Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium low.  Fry garlic, turning once, until lightly golden on both sides but still firm, about 3 minutes total; remove from oil.  When cool enough to handle, cut each clove in half lengthwise.  Stuff each olive with a half clove of garlic; set aside.
• Remove chorizo from casings and turn out onto cutting board; discard casings and finely chop sausage.
• Working with a tablespoon measure, fill spoon with a slightly heaping amount of sausage.  Push olive into sausage; turn out into hands and work sausage around olive to enclose and form into ovals mimicking the shape of the olive.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining meat and olives.  (if making ahead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.  Allow to warm up to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.)
• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Combine sweet and hot paprika in a small bowl.  Using a fine meshed sieve, dust olives with paprika.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until meat is cooked.  Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with parsley; serve with toothpicks.