When I look back over the years I’ve been cooking and try and think of those formative moments that really stand out, one that continually comes to mind was the first time I cooked with chorizo. Gently frying chunks in a pan so that pork fat renders out with the gorgeous colouring of fragrant paprika, then sweating onions and garlic in that lovely lovely porky smoky oil - brilliant. Since that day I was pretty much of the opinion that a good fresh chorizo was the absolute pinnacle of pork charcuterie products.

I was wrong.

Towards the end of last year a chance encounter with an italian deli supplier at a food fair introduced me to something new - a spicy, soft salami from the region of Calabria in southern Italy made from pork fat, pork offal, and various minced peppers and spices called n’duja. It’s no shy beast - the peppers are really very fiery, and that’s what makes it stand out. The one-two punch of the strongly rich pork flavour and the searing fire of the spicy peppers really hits all my buttons, and even just plainly spread on a slice of bread it’s one of the most delicious deli items I’ve ever eaten. It’s a real shame that it isn’t all that easy to get hold of - a number of online deli retailers sell it, but I haven’t not seen it once in a store.

It’s a pretty versatile beast, too. Eating it as it comes is great, but I’ve put it to any number of cooking uses and the flavour and heat shine through every time. Here are a few of the things I’ve done with it to great effect:

1) Blitz up with breadcrumbs, scatter on top of portobello (flat) mushrooms, top with a little grated cheese, and grill.
2) Fry up to start off a ragu or chilli, giving you that lovely spicy meaty oil to simmer your onions in.
3) Mix with minced beef and/or pork to form burgers or meatballs.

If you can find it, give it a try. You won’t regret it.

Rich adds: Nick has glossed over that I was with him at that food festival, there was only one n’duja left, and he was in the queue before me. I shall never forgive this betrayal.