ECLECTIC WRITER: July 2004

Tantalizing Tapas

Story and Photos

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Called by any other name, such as the French “hors d’oeuvres,” Chinese “dim sum” or Turkish “meze,” tapas are small portions of food served as appetizers in a social setting.

Spaniards go to bars to join friends, converse, argue, joke and flirt. Tapas keep them going, but they are rarely eaten in place of a main meal.

“Tapa” finds its origin in the verb “tapar” which means “to cover.” The first tapa, as the story goes, was a thin slice of ham served on top of a sherry glass, intended to keep the flies out. Once barkeepers discovered that the saltiness of the ham spurred beverage sales, a tradition was born and tapas, served in bars and cafes throughout the country, became an integral part of the Spanish lifestyle.

Today, every glass of sherry bought in a local bar comes covered by a “tapa,” the Spanish word for “lid.”

It could be anything from a slice of bread topped with ham, cheese or tomatoes to a small dish of tapenade with a piece of bruschetta.

Tapas come in cold and hot varieties. The cold dishes on the tapa bar are comprised of various exotic salads such as Salpicon with chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, shrimp and other shellfish. Remion is a salad of oranges, codfish, onions and olives which is — strange as it sounds — delicious. Same goes for the roasted pepper salad, ensalada campera, a lemony potato salad and cooked fish roe dressed with olive oil and lemon.

As for the variety of hot tapas, some, such as prawns drizzled with garlic and oil or garlic- grilled pork loin, are cooked to order. Others — like meatballs in almond sauce, kidneys in sherry sauce, sauteed mushrooms and chicken fried with garlic — are dished out of a bubbling stew pot. Beans with ham, spicy snails, crispy fritters or croquettes, and tortilla, a thick round potato omelette, are all part of the endless variety of tapas.

Even though you’re thousands of kilometres away from Spain, you can create some of the sunny Spanish flavours in your own kitchen.

For a light summer fare or for great parties, tapas will show off your culinary talents. Here are a few recipes to get you started.

Spicy Almonds

1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 cups whole almonds in their skins

Preheat oven to 350 F. Toss almonds with the egg white and the rest of the ingredients. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast almonds until golden brown and aromatic, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Serves 4-6.

Fried Calamari

Sea salt

150 g prepared calamari, cut into rings
2 Tbsp. flour seasoned with salt and pepper
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
olive oil, for frying
lemon wedges

Dredge the calamari rings with the seasoned flour in a bowl. Whisk the egg and milk together in a shallow bowl. Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan.

Tip out the floured calamari rings one at a time into the egg mixture, shaking off any excess liquid. Fry in the hot oil, in batches if necessary, for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.

Pat excess oil from the fried calamari with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and transfer to a warm plate. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

Spanish-style Bruschetta

12 slices of Italian or French bread
1 large clove garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ripe tomato cut in half
Salt and pepper to taste

Rub the bread with the whole clove of garlic to lightly flavour the bread.

Brush the bread with olive oil and place in a 325 F oven for 5 minutes or until toasted.

Remove from the oven and then immediately rub the bread with the inside flesh of the tomato in order to make the toasted bread moist with the fresh ripe tomato juices.

Carrots Seasoned with Herbs ~ Serves 8 to 10 as part of a selection of :
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. ground coriander
3/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3-4 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil, for the dressing, plus 2 tablespoons for carrots
1 kg long, tender young carrots cut diagonally into 2-cm thick slices
1/4 cup water (or as needed)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black
pepper
Pinch of sugar
Half of a small bunch flat-leaf
parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

In a mini-food processor or a blender, combine the garlic, oregano, cumin seeds, coriander and pepper flakes.

Add vinegar and grind to a paste. In a thin stream, drizzle in the olive oil and blend until the mixture is emulsified. Set aside while you cook the carrots.

In a medium heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the water, sugar, salt and pepper; cover the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for about 5 more minutes, or until the carrots are just tender but not mushy. Add a little more water to the pan if necessary.

Transfer the carrots to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon and immediately add the herb dressing. Toss together and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave the carrots to marinate for 2 to 3 hours, and when ready to serve, stir in the parsley. Serve at room temperature on small plates.

Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Spanish Olive Tapenade ~ Makes 8 to 10 servings
Source: Gourmet Magazine

For the tapenade:
1/2 cup Spanish olives with pimento
1 1/2 tsp. drained capers
1 tsp. brandy, preferably a Spanish Solera Gran Reserva
1/4 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
32 small cherry tomatoes
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Make the tapenade: in a food processor, pulse the olives until they are chopped roughly. Add the remaining tapenade ingredients and pulse until olives are minced.

With a sharp knife, slice and discard the stem end and the bottom from each tomato. Using a 1/4 teaspoon, remove the juice and seeds from each tomato half, leaving the outside shell intact.

Spoon a generous 1/4 teaspoon of the tapenade into each shell and garnish with the parsley.

Potato and Onion Tortilla ~ Serves 4 to 6
3/4 cup olive oil
5 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 onions, finely diced
6 eggs, lightly beaten in a large bowl
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onions until soft. Add potatoes and cook over medium-heat about 10 minutes or until almost tender. Break up the potatoes slightly with a spatula.

Transfer the potatoes and onions to the bowl with the eggs. Stir the potatoes around to cover well with the egg, and season with salt and pepper.

Drain all of the oil from the pan except for 1 tablespoon. Add the egg mixture to the pan; reduce the heat to low and cook the omelet slowly until golden and firm enough to flip. Carefully flip the omelet, slipping it onto another plate if necessary, and cook until the other side is done. It should be about 1-inch thick and still soft inside.

Cut the omelet into squares and serve immediately hot, or let cool to room temperature and serve.

Garlic Shrimp ~ Serves 4.
Source: Casual Cuisines of the World

These shrimp — fragrant with garlic and olive oil — are brought to the table sizzling in a little metal pan. Have plenty of bread on hand to sop up the delicious pan juices. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

1/4 cup olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 lb, medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. dry sherry
1 tsp. paprika
Chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian
parsley for garnish

In a saute pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute. Raise the heat to high and add the shrimp, lemon juice, sherry and paprika. Stir well, then saute, stirring briskly, until the shrimp turn pink and curl slightly, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot.