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Take a Trip to Spain With Patatas Bravas

Lauren Hendrickson — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 03:20:04 PDT

If you've visited Spain, chances are, you've sampled patatas bravas. They're a standard tapa at just about every restaurant: a fried, bite-sized piece of potato, that's smothered in a slightly spicy paprika- and mayonnaise-based sauce. I fell in love with the simplicity of the dish years ago, but only recently tried to re-create this classic dish in my own kitchen.

Traditionally, the potato pieces are deep fried, but I skipped the frying to keep this tapas recipe a touch healthier, and so my house wouldn't smell like a fast food joint. Instead, I achieved a crisp and golden potato using a hot oven and potatoes coated in olive and canola oils.

While the spuds cooked, I made the dipping sauce, which is a piece of cake if you employ the food processor. To present this dish, either drizzle the sauce over the potatoes, or serve it as a finger food, with a plate of golden potatoes and the sauce in a small bowl on the side. Get ready for a taste of Spain when you read more.

Name That Dish!

Katie Sweeney — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 04:00:38 PST

This Spanish tapa is one of my favorites. Do you know what it's called?

Beyond Patatas Bravas: A Look at Rota's Feria de Tapas

partysugar — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:02:26 PDT

This year I was lucky enough to attend the 11th annual Feria de la Tapa in Rota, Spain. The festival took place in the city's main plaza and featured creative bites from nine of Rota's best restaurants. The three-day fair was a competition to see who could make the most innovative and scrumptious tapas. These weren't your typical Spanish mother's tortilla de patatas or gambas al ajillo, they were clever, interesting takes on classics. Here, you'll find a taste of the exciting dishes.

Photo courtesy of Kiam Marcello Junio

Name That Dish!

partysugar — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:15:32 PDT

If I were to pick a simple but scrumptious appetizer to pair with muddled strawberry and prosecco cocktails, I'd go with the dish pictured below. Do you know what the Spanish specialty is called?

Garlic Shrimp Are an Easy and Delicious Appetizer

partysugar — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 09:00:50 PDT

Between dips, nachos, and an assortment of crostini, it's hard for me to say what my signature appetizer is. However, the other day when I was discussing this with my sister, she said, "I know what your signature appetizer is: it's gambas!"

She was referring to gambas al ajillo, the classic Spanish tapa that combines sizzling pink shrimp with spicy, garlicky olive oil. It's always served with bread for mopping, meaning it's a dish that's somewhere between a dip and crostini. I quickly realized she was right: garlic shrimp are my signature appetizer.

I've made them more times than I could ever remember, and when I don't know what to serve, I always turn to the succulent gambas. It's a super easy, simple recipe that comes together quickly, so I highly recommend you add it to your arsenal. For my rendition of Spain's most flavorful and famous shrimp,

Gambas al Ajillo
From Katie Sweeney

Ingredients

10 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (also known as Pimenton)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
crusty bread or crostini, optional for serving

Directions

Place the garlic cloves in a food processor. Using the pulse button, chop the garlic until finely minced.
Transfer the garlic to an oven-safe dish (preferably a cazuela). Add the olive oil, red pepper flakes, and paprika. Stir to combine. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the dish with the olive oil and garlic mixture in the oven. Heat for 4-5 minutes until the oil is hot and the garlic is starting to be fragrant.
Add the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Flip the shrimp and baste with the oil. Continue cooking until the shrimp is plump and pink, 3-4 minutes more.
Serve immediately with crusty bread or crostini for mopping. Enjoy!

Serves 6-8.

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A Taste of Casa Balbino's Classic Spanish Tapas

partysugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:50:04 PDT

In the heart of any Spanish city, there's a plaza filled with countless tapas restaurants. The menus hardly vary from place to place - everyone offers their version of classics such as gambas al ajilo, patatas bravas, or tortilla Española. That's why places like Casa Balbino, located in the Southern city of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, are a dime a dozen. While they serve the traditional dishes, they also offer a wide variety of harder to find tapas. Because Sanlucar is located along a delta, the seafood is unbelievably fresh. One hot Summer afternoon, I ate my way through Balbino's amazing selection of tapas. Here, you'll find a taste of the scrumptious journey.

Do You Prefer the Rings or the Tentacles of Calamari?

YumSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:45:12 PST

On New Year's Day, my hungover friends and I were craving Spanish comfort food. We wound up going to one of the best tapas haunts in Chicago, Café Iberico. When this calamari dish came to the table, we got into a discussion about what part of the squid tasted better - the rings or the tentacles - and none of us could come to a consensus. What do you think?

Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:00:46 PDT

On Wednesday night, I had the privilege of attending the charity event Wine.Dine.Donate. The dinner was organized by Epicurious and hosted by celebrated chef Traci Des Jardins. As a first course, she served this delicious fish tapa. Do you know what it is?

Name That Dish!

partysugar — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:00:51 PDT

The menu on this week's housewarming party plan featured a variety of tapas recipes. Below is my all time favorite Spanish tapa. Do you know what it's called?

Come Party With Me: Housewarming Party - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:45:07 PDT

A housewarming party is similar to an open house in that guests will stop by at random times. Instead of slaving over the stove, serve a simple menu of Spanish style tapas that are delicious warm, cold, or at room temperature. Start by putting together a large antipasto platter with your favorite cheese, crackers, marinated vegetables, and charcuterie. Supplement this with a few homemade nibbles. Warm rosemary olives, stuffed mushrooms, and eggplant mozzarella roll-ups are scrumptious and filling. To learn how to make these tasty appetizers,

Warm Rosemary Olives
From Real Simple magazine

Ingredients

6 cups mixed olives, such as Niçoise, Spanish, Picholine, and Greek
5 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Directions

Combine the olives, rosemary, and red pepper flakes in the center of 1 or 2 large sheets of aluminum foil. Fold the foil to enclose the olives in a pouch. Recipe can made to this point 1 day ahead, Refrigerate.
Heat oven to 400º F. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes 6 cups or enough for 30 guests.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 31(1% from fat); FAT 3g (sat 0g); CHOLESTEROL 0mg; CALCIUM 24mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2g; SODIUM 234mg; PROTEIN 0mg; FIBER 1g; IRON 1mg

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Stuffed Mushrooms
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

3 ounces day-old white bread (about 3 slices), crusts removed
2 scallions, white and light-green parts only, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
3 ounces fresh goat cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 ounce dry Monterey Jack or Parmesan, grated on small holes of box grater
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
48 button mushrooms (about 1 1/2 pounds), stems removed and caps cleaned

Directions

Pulse the bread in the bowl of a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl.
Place the scallions, bell pepper, and goat cheese in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped and well combined.
Transfer mixture to the bowl with the bread crumbs, and stir. Stir in the cilantro, half the grated Monterey Jack, salt, and pepper.
Heat oven to 350 degrees; position rack in the center of oven.
Place mushroom caps, cups facing upward, on a large cookie sheet. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of stuffing mixture into each cap.
Bake until mushrooms are tender and filling is hot, 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove mushrooms, turn oven to broil, and position rack about 4 inches from broiler. Sprinkle mushrooms with remaining grated cheese, and broil until cheese is golden, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 dozen.

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Eggplant and Mozzarella Roll-Ups
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

All-purpose flour, for dredging
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Pure olive oil, for frying
One 1-pound eggplant, peeled and sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into about 24 strips

Directions

Have ready the flour and beaten eggs, each in a shallow bowl. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet.
One at a time, dredge the eggplant slices in the flour and then dip them into the beaten eggs, allowing the excess to drip off.
Fry 2 coated eggplant slices at a time in the olive oil over moderate heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the slices to paper towels to drain. Add more olive oil to the skillet as needed and adjust the heat if the eggplant browns too fast.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Lay the eggplant slices out on a work surface and lightly season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Cover the eggplant slices with the prosciutto; trim the prosciutto as necessary and use the trimmings to cover any uncovered eggplant slices. Cut each eggplant slice in half crosswise. Set 1 strip of mozzarella at 1 end of each eggplant slice, roll up neatly and secure with a toothpick.
Transfer the eggplant rolls to a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the eggplant is tender and piping hot. Remove the toothpicks and cut the rolls crosswise into 1-inch lengths. Serve the roll-ups hot or warm.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Make ahead: the roll-ups can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking.

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