The normal Spanish means of consuming, with all its little dishes to share and small bites typically eaten by hand, is my thought of heaven. As with Center Jap meze, which is the type of meals I grew up with, it’s synonymous with every part I really like about meals and consuming: the vitality generated just by having a spread of dishes that have to be handed round, for instance, and the best way {that a} meal by no means actually “ends” (not like when everybody has their very own particular person plate of meals). Add an entire load of olive oil, garlicky mayonnaise, cubes of potato, lemon juice, rapidly fried prawns and contemporary tomato, and, actually, what extra might you ask for?
Patatas bravas with grated tomato and cumin (pictured prime)
Is there a dish extra synonymous with tapas than patatas bravas? It’s cooked in all types of the way throughout Spain, and I used to be intrigued to study that, historically, bravas sauce doesn’t include tomato in any respect, and is as a substitute a thick, fiery paprika sauce. Even so, I really like the freshness that grated tomato brings to proceedings. Most potato varieties will work properly however I desire a barely waxy one, comparable to yukon gold.
Prep 10 min
Cook dinner 40 min
Serves 4
800g yukon gold potatoes, or one other waxy selection, peeled and reduce into 3cm items
75ml olive oil
Superb sea salt and black pepper
3 plum tomatoes (320g)
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
¾ tsp plain flour
2 tsp candy smoked paprika
1 tsp scorching smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and frivolously crushed in a mortar
60ml plain yoghurt, at room temperature
Warmth the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/fuel 6. Toss the potatoes, two tablespoons of oil and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt on a big lined baking sheet, then roast for half-hour, till golden and cooked by means of.
In the meantime, grate the tomatoes on the tough facet of a field grater, then discard the spent skins; you must find yourself with about 220g grated flesh. Switch the grated tomato to a sieve set over a bowl and season the pulp with the garlic and a half-teaspoon of salt. Depart to empty for 5 minutes, stirring a few times, then switch the pulp to a second bowl and season with two tablespoons of oil and crack of pepper. Measure the tomato liquid, prime as much as 175ml with chilly water, then put aside.
For the bravas sauce, put the flour and the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small pan on a medium-high warmth and prepare dinner, stirring, for a minute, till it turns right into a effervescent paste. Stir in each paprikas, prepare dinner for an additional 30 seconds, till aromatic however not burnt, then slowly stir within the tomato water. Simmer till the sauce reduces to a thick, double cream-like consistency.
Switch the oven-hot potatoes and the bravas sauce to a big bowl, and toss to mix. Layer the potatoes on a medium platter, spoon the yoghurt, tomato pulp and cumin on prime and serve without delay.
Prawn tortillitas with dipping vinegar
Yotam Ottolenghi’s prawn tortillitas with dipping vinegar. {Photograph}: Louise Hagger/The Guardian
In Spain, these frilly fritters would usually be made with complete shell-on shrimp, which make for the crispiest outcomes, however they’re fairly arduous to pay money for within the UK, so we’ve used a mix of prawns and brown shrimp as a substitute.
Prep 15 min
Cook dinner 20 min
Serves 4
75g plain flour
75g chickpea flour
300ml fridge-cold glowing water
100g uncooked shelled prawns, deveined and finely chopped
50g uncooked brown shrimp
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 crimson onion (110g), peeled and finely chopped
30g contemporary coriander, finely chopped
1 tsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed in a mortar
Superb sea salt
600ml sunflower or vegetable oil
For the dipping vinegar
45ml white-wine vinegar
45ml water
1 crimson chilli (10g), finely chopped
1 tsp caster sugar
First, make the batter. Sieve the 2 flours into a big bowl and blend properly. Stirring always, slowly pour within the glowing water to make a clean batter, then stir within the prawns, shrimp, garlic, all however 30g of the chopped crimson onion, 20g of the chopped coriander, all of the crushed coriander seeds and half a teaspoon of salt. Cowl the bowl with a plate, then put aside to relaxation for half an hour.
In the meantime, make the dipping vinegar. Put the remaining 30g chopped onion in a small bowl, add the vinegar, water, chilli, sugar and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, combine properly and put aside.
To fry the tortillitas, put the oil in a big, high-sided frying pan on a medium-high warmth. As soon as it’s good and scorching, combine the batter properly, then ladle 90-100g of it into the centre of the pan in a 10cm-diameter circle – it ought to sizzle instantly and go frilly on the edges, however keep barely thicker within the center. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, till golden beneath, then, utilizing two heatproof spatulas, rigorously flip over and prepare dinner for an additional minute or two on the opposite facet, till that, too, is barely golden – take care to not over-fry the tortillita, in any other case the frills may catch and burn. Raise out of the new oil and on to a plate lined with kitchen paper to empty, then repeat with the remaining batter till it’s all used up.
Stir the remaining 10g chopped coriander into the vinegar combine and serve alongside the new tortillitas for dipping.
Chorizo, cider and chickpea stew with ajillo
Yotam Ottolenghi’s chorizo, cider and chickpea stew with ajillo.
The Asturias area of northern Spain has an extended historical past of manufacturing a cider often known as sidra, which isn’t in any respect candy. We used Cornish cider in its place, however you need to use any selection that you’ve open and/or wish to drink. This dish could be very fast to place collectively, so it’s nice for a midweek meal or as a part of a tapas unfold. We used jarred chickpeas, as a result of they’re extra tender than tinned; if utilizing tinned, simmer in boiling water for 10 minutes beforehand, till tender. Serve with crusty bread.
Prep 15 min
Cook dinner 15 min
Serves 2
1 tsp olive oil
4 uncooked/cooking chorizo (200g), reduce at an angle into 1cm-thick slices
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp picked thyme leaves
¼ tsp paprika
150ml cider
400g drained cooked chickpeas, ideally from a jar
Superb sea salt and black pepper
Good-quality garlic mayonnaise, to serve
For the ajillo
10g parsley, very finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
Put the oil and chorizo in a medium saute pan on a medium-high warmth and fry for six minutes, flipping as soon as midway, till the fats renders out and the chorizo develops a crisp crust. Add the garlic, thyme and paprika, prepare dinner for a minute extra, then pour within the cider and prepare dinner for 3 to 4 minutes, till the liquid reduces by half. Add the chickpeas, carry to a simmer, prepare dinner for 2 minutes, then grind in a couple of twists of black pepper, take off the warmth and divide between two bowls.
In the meantime, combine all of the ajillo elements and a pinch of salt to style in a small bowl, then swirl some by means of every bowl of scorching stew simply earlier than serving with some garlicky mayo on the facet.
