Spanish Pan Roast

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This dish was a delightful meal we enjoyed Sunday evening and I can't wait for the next Spanish feast day when I can enjoy it again (not that we have to wait for a feast day). I saw this recipe at Barb's place and when I saw it I realized immediately it would be a dish I would love. It's just the kind of thing I would order at a restaurant, and it was a good as any professional chef could create, if I do say so myself (of course, I only followed directions, so my part was easy). The original recipe came from Cooking Light and I modified it just a bit.

First, I could not find Spanish paprika any where. Our small town is such a culinary dead end, sometimes it drives me nuts. But as it turned out, the dish was plenty smoky from the chorizo, and plenty spicy as well. I substituted a half teaspoon of regular paprika and a pinch of cayenne for the Spanish paprika called for.

And then there was the chorizo -- I could not find smoked chorizo, but I did find fresh and it was delicious. I added the fresh chorizo to the pan at the beginning of the cook time with the potatoes so it would have plenty of time to get done. And as I stretched out some of the other cooking times, it was perfect in the end -- and I really liked the softer texture of the fresh chorizo as opposed to the denser smoked chorizo, so I would seek out the fresh again.

Now, lets talk beers. This recipe calls for a pilsner, which I believe is a bottom-fermented beer first brewed in the Bohemian city of Pilsen. If you know a good Pilsner, go ahead and use it. I had to take a shot in the dark and chose Beck's which is fairly available and a very tasty German beer (somebody has to finish off the bottle you know). I think St. Pauli Girl Lager can be classified as a pilsner and is actually brewed in the same brewery as Beck's, but I think St. Pauli Girl is a lesser quality beer (meaning: I think I recall that fact; not: I have that opinion), so if you can get Beck's, or something else you like, get it.Unless you really hate beer or can not drink it, I would not omit it -- it really lends itself not only to the flavor but to the texture of the veggies -- it's a wet roast instead of dry. If you really can't have beer, go ahead and cook the dish without. It will be a different dish, but I think it would still be excellent.

The recipe below is with all my changes -- you can find the original recipe here for comparison.

Spanish Pan Roast
serves 6

printer version

1 pound red potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pound large peeled and cleaned shrimp
5 links fresh Spanish chorizo
1 pound green beans, trimmed
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup pilsner beer
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (see note above for substitution)
2 red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine potatoes, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and sausage links (do not cut them if they are fresh) in a large roasting pan, tossing well to coat potatoes with oil. Arrange
in a single layer in pan. Bake at 400° for 15 - 20 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

Stir green beans, garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper into pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Add beer, paprika, and bell pepper, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook for 10 minutes. Nestle shrimp into vegetable mixture. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until potatoes and green beans are tender and shrimp are done.


Slice sausages into serving-size pieces. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Taste and adjust salt and pepper seasoning if necessary, and serve.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed and serve.

Source: modified from Cooking Light via Mom's Fridge

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