Tapas Theory
Spain is hot right now! Get on the band wagon before we spin it out of control. It wasn't long ago that to get good Spanish food you had to go to London, Washington D.C., New York or Spain itself. José
Andrés has changed that for us, through his advocacy we have more and better Spanish food available in most major cities. Wine has had a similar journey. Concha y Toro and Frexinet were widely available, but now you can get great wine from every corner of Spain from small and large producers. This allows us to sample wine from regions as diverse as stony wet Galicia to the arid, forgotten Priorat near Barcelona, and all that great Rioja in between.
But this column is about Tapas. In my real job as a professor, I deal with theory all the time. I look for patterns, factors and explanations, trying to understand human phenomena. Using the same methods, quite unintentionally, I finally cracked the Tapas Theory. I have probably thrown 4 or 5 true Tapas Parties- meaning they are composed of Spanish-themed small plates. Tapas are served throughout Spain in bars, where your bar hop looks much like a roaming feast. I love the process of producing small dishes with the focus on the number of dishes, rather than the size of the dish. Cooking for even a large group seems more manageable. The concept of lingering over courses, also appeals to my belief that a meal is an event, not just something that happens before I go do something. Thus, the cook can prepare a couple of dishes, sit with guests and a glass of Sherry, and then get up and make a couple more, sit and drink, etc. If your grill has a side burner, you can even do this all beside your patio table. It’s not quite like starting a campfire in a vineyard and cooking over burning wood, but it’s probably legal and safer.
Cooking Tapas should be a simple task, using a few basic ingredients, highlighting the best central ingredient on the plate. It’s even better if items that are already in the pantry or fridge are used. In a typical party I make about 10 dishes that share the same ingredients- usually parsley, onion, garlic, lemon, paprika, sherry vinegar, Spanish extra-virgin olive oil (SEVOO) and Sherry itself. Once everything is chopped, each dish takes only a few minutes to cook. And, here is the reason why. I think my theory- even though I have never read about how a Spanish tapas restaurant works- explains how they do what they do so well and so quickly. It’s all about basic Spanish flavors and ingredients, using what’s on hand, chopping ahead of time, and having no fear of experimentation. But since I can’t really take you to my pantry, fridge and freezer right now to test that, let’s walk through my perennial favorites.
To set the menu, I think about having veggies, a meat or two and some fish. I must have chorizo. I must have something green. I must have shrimp. I plan for 1-2 dishes for per person with the focus on small portions. Everything you make should not take more than a 10-inch sauté pan or medium-sized sauce pan. And be sure that you season every dish to taste- salt, pepper, and even more olive oil. You will see that I give you no measurements- sorry about that, but keep in mind you are making small quantities and trying to achieve a balance by using your intuition.
Bright Green Salad- I like to start with a beautiful salad. Here I love to use bib lettuce and then I start adding on. I’ll add orange segments- blood orange if I can find them for their dramatic effect. I slice a shallot thinly- though you could use a red onion, scallions as well- just don’t use a lot. Pomegranate seeds would be great and even some shaved almonds or crushed hazelnuts. Then dress this with your best olive oil, hopefully Spanish, and some sherry vinegar.
Cheese and Apple Salad- Another one of my favorites calls for one or two diced green apples with diced Spanish cheese. Use Murcia if you can find it, but you can use a Manchego as well. Add chopped walnuts and chopped parsley (use some of that big bowl you already have chopped) and dress with- you got it- SEVOO and some sherry vinegar (you can also try apple cider vinegar). If I have lots of people coming, I’ll bulk this up with some romaine hearts.
Catalan Tomato Bread- So simple, so good. Start with hearty bread, cut in generous slices and throw it on the grill. As soon as it comes off the grill take a clove of garlic (not traditional, but I like it) and scrape it across the toast, then do the same thing with a tomato cut in half, drizzle SEVOO, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. You can leave it here or you can amp it up with a slice of serrano ham or a thin slice of Manchego. Make it prettier by garnishing it with that parsley.
Stuffed Piquillo Peppers- You can buy jars of these smaller, richer version of roasted red bell peppers. Choose whole, not chopped and you can stuff them with almost anything. It’s great to make these ahead of time. I like to stuff them with a mashed potato mixed with Spanish tuna (of course, the Ortiz brand it the best), SEVOO and chopped chives. But you can mix anything in the potatoes- try cheese, chopped ham, or go very authentic with bacalao (dried cod). Once these are arranged on a plate, finish your beautiful creation by sprinkling it with parsley and a fresh drizzle of SEVOO.
Patatas Bravas- No Tapas party is complete without crunchy fried potatoes (in SEVOO), sprinkled with parsley, and dipped in any variety of sauces. Try Romesco or just mix garlic and SEVOO into mayonnaise, or blend in some roasted peppers or a dried spice mix. You might even saute slices of chorizo with the potato cubes for a built in dip.
Garlic Shrimp- Use that chopped garlic you prepared for the day for the shrimp, add red pepper flakes for some heat. Don’t overcook the shrimp or garlic. Finally, sprinkle with parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Sherry Mushrooms- You can simply sauté mushrooms in SEVOO, salt and pepper. But you can also up the game by adding sherry, sprigs of thyme and slices of shallots. I like to almost braise the mushrooms, basting them with the olive oil and Sherry until they take on a shiny, almost preserved quality. Well worth the time it takes to get there.
Grilled Meats- grill any meat after bringing it to room temperature and seasoning it with SEVOO, salt and pepper. After you grill it, cut in thin slices arrange artfully on a platter and dress it with SEVOO and parsley. You could get fancy and make a herb oil by putting fresh herbs (rosemary is great) and SEVOO in a mini-food processor for your drizzle.
Sautéed Meats- In another example of Theory in practice, you can take any meat (chicken livers are great and very authentic) sauté it with SEVOO, dried herbs, some garlic, slices of lemon, Sherry, S&P, white onions or shallots, sprinkle with parsley. If you know how to flambè that Sherry, even better.
Vegetables- Veggies can be made just like sautéed meats. I also like to wrap spears of asparagus or a few green beans in slices of Serrano ham and throw it on the grill.
The Cheese and Charcuterie Platter- This isn’t necessary for a Tapas Party, but it’s an easy way to started while you cook other items. There are plenty of Instagram pics of elaborate amazing platters. Be as creative as you like. What’s most important is the food. I like 3 different cheeses- mix it up with a cow (good Mahon), a sheep (Petite Basque), goat (Cana de Cabra), indulge in a blue (Cabrales) or whatever you find at your market. If you have access to Jambòn Ibèrico definitely include it, Jambòn Serrano and thin slices of white Chorizo are also great. Spanish olives, especially stuffed with anchovies have to be there. Marcona almonds- definitely! Add a fig cake and a little mound of quince paste (Membrillo). You could also add fresh fruit and maybe some pickled vegetables.
And what you drink with all of this? Tapas originated in the area of Jerez de la Frontera in the southwest corner of Spain. There it’s all about having a Sherry Fino with your Tapas, especially Jambòn and shrimp, but it’s also great with almonds and potato chips (Jose Andres has wonderful ones). Not ready to go for a Sherry, then definitely pour yourself a lovely Cava. For heartier fare, definitely go for a Rioja. Its Tempranillo grape will go fabulously with mushrooms and grilled meats.
La Tienda is a great on-line source for Spanish delicacies. If you live in Southern California, you can actually visit the La Española market in Harbor City (they also have on-line sales) and browse the amazing cheese and Jambòn selections, grab a sandwich to snack on in the car. Or if you’re lucky you’ll catch the Flamenco Dancers on the last Saturday of the month. You might be wondering where Paella is in this blog… we’ll that is goodness for another day.