How to Make Spanish Tapas

Tapas are usually eaten before a meal.

Tapas food dishes are a variety of dishes that are served before, during and after the various courses at a Spanish meal. The Spaniards have been making varieties of tapas since the Middle Ages and there is no one thing that defines the tapas from one region of Spain better than the tapas from another. Interestingly, Spaniards do not eat tapas in the home but rather when they go to eat out of the home. There are special tapas bars in even the smallest towns in Spain. Try serving these tasty morsels for a special dinner with family and friends.

Things You'll Need

• Olive oil
• 6 oz. chorizo sausage
• 1½ pounds of potatoes, cut in thin slices
• 2 Spanish onions, thinly sliced
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
• 4 oz. grated hard cheese
• Salt
• Pepper
• ¾ cups goat cheese
• 1 tsp. chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. chopped tarragon
• 1 tsp. chopped chervil
• 1 tsp. chopped oregano
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 12 big butterflied shrimp
• 12 strips of prosciutto, thinly sliced
• Truffle oil
• Parsley sprigs

Instructions

Spicy Tapas

1. Chop 6 ounces of chorizo with a knife into cubes and fry it in 1 tablespoon of hot oil. Keep the sausage in the frying pan until the cubes are golden.

2. Drain the sausage on pieces of paper towel to remove the excess oil and leave the rest of the oil in the frying pan.

3. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil into the pan and fry the potato and onion slices for three minutes on high heat stirring them the whole time. Lower the flame and cover the pan for 30 minutes.

4. Beat four eggs in a bowl with a fork and add the parsley and cheese. Add salt and pepper to your taste.

5. Pour the contents of the frying pan slowly into the bowl with the egg mixture. Stir constantly as you pour in the contents to let the egg mixture temper and not cook and set. Clean out the frying pan and heat 2 tablespoons of clean oil.

6. Add the entire contents of the bowl into the heated oil and keep the heat very low. Leave the mixture in the pan until the egg sets and becomes solid.

7. Slide a spatula around the edge of the frying pan and under the cooked tortilla. Work slowly to avoid breaking the bottom of the mixture.

8. Move the tortilla to a plate and cut it as if you were cutting up a pizza. Serve the tapas in wedges.

Cheesy Tapas

1. Mix the goat cheese, herbs and spices in a bowl until they are evenly combined. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and pepper also.

2. Scoop out the mixture with a spoon and press it into cavity of each of the shrimp and press it closed. Use a piece of prosciutto to wrap each filled shrimp tightly closed.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and add the wrapped shrimp. Fry the shrimp on both sides until the flesh looks cooked and tails turn inward.

4. Arrange the cooked tapas on a plate and pour a very fine stream of truffle oil over each of them. Place a sprig of parsley on each for garnish.

Tips & Warnings

• You can experiment with different ingredients and flavors to make up your own tapas.

• Do not use old or off-smelling shrimp as it could be spoiled and you could get food poisoning.

References

• Tapas Recipes: Spicy Sausage and Cheese Tortilla
• Eric Weisstein: Tapas Recipes