The wife and I hosted a “Tapas” party for a few guest this past weekend. Although I was in the kitchen for most of the day, it was well worth it. Everyone fully enjoyed the variety of simple robust flavors. Tapas is essentially a style of eating rather than a form of cooking. It’s all about being social. Good friends talking and drinking in a relaxed atmosphere while sampling small bites of intense flavor. Traditionally it is kept simple but you can make it as complicated as you like but whichever way you prefer it, tapas is best served with drinks among friends and interesting company.

Below is our Tapas menu for that evening followed by recipes for a few of the standout dishes. All of the recipes served about 6 people and where considered to be a “1” (or mild) chile pepper on the Chili Cheese Fries Heat Factor scale.

TAPAS MENU

• Gambas y Chorizo – Shrimp & Chorizo (recipe below)
• Mis Patata Bravas – My Spicy Potatoes
• Pollo al Ajillo – Chicken in Garlic (recipe below)
• Carne y Champiñones al Ajillo – Beef & Mushrooms in Garlic (recipe below)
• Ceviche del Camarón – Shrimp Ceviche (recipe found here)
• Sopa de Habas Negras Cubana – Cuban Black Bean Soup
• Costillas de Cerdo del Gauva – Guava Pork Spare Ribs
• Masitas de Puerco Fritas – Fried Pork Bites (recipe found here)

Pollo al Ajillo

Chicken in Garlic

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup Spanish olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed, plus 2 cloves, minced
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup fino sherry
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

PREPARATION:

1. Mix the paprika, salt, and pepper and toss with the chicken pieces to coat. Place in the fridge for at least an hour but two is better or even overnight. Remove and allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking.

2. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium low heat. Add the crushed garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, being careful not to allow it to brown, about 2 minutes. Increase heat and add the chicken pieces and fry, turning as needed, until golden on both sides, about 5 to 8 minutes. They should be golden brown but not fully cooked inside. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain briefly.

3. Remove the crushed garlic from the oil and discard. Return the pan to low heat and add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the thyme, bay leaves, sherry, and broth, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and return the chicken to the pan and simmer, uncovered, until about half of the liquid has evaporated and the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the parsleys and serve immediately.

Carne y Champiñones al Ajillo

Beef & Mushrooms in Garlic

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, halved
• 8 cloves garlic, cracked and skinned, halved
• 1/4 cup Spanish olive oil , halved
• 12 to 16 oz (total weight) rib-eye steak, trimmed of fat and  cut into bite sized pieces
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 24 small to medium mushroom caps
• 1 cup fino sherry, halved

PREPARATION:

1. Season the meat pieces with salt and pepper and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Be careful as olive oil will begin to smoke very quickly. Add the meat and quickly sear the pieces on all sides evenly. Lower heat to medium and add 4 cloves of the garlic and half of the parsley to the pan. Stir to coat the meat. Add 1/2 cup of the sherry and stir the meat in the wine as it deglazes the pan. Transfer to a serving dish and cover with loose foil to keep warm. Return pan to heat.

2. Repeat the same process with the mushrooms: add olive oil to the pan, then mushrooms, cook 5 or 6minutes to char edges and soften, add parsley and garlic, then salt and pepper, and then quickly add the sherry. Simmer a bit to soften mushrooms and reduce sherry all while scraping up pan drippings and remove to serving dish. Serve immediately.

Gambas y Chorizo

Shrimp & Chorizo

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Spanish olive oil
• 1/2 pound chorizo, removed from casing and chopped
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup fino sherry, divided
• 1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 lb extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley leaves

PREPARATION:

Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the chorizo until it begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and cook until they begin to caramelize and become soft, about 5 minutes. Next add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add half of the sherry and cook for 1 minute, scraping up any bits that may have stuck to the pan. Add the shrimp, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and sauté cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining sherry and the 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and stir to combine and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with the pan sauces spooned over the top.

The above is a variation of a Emeril Lagasse recipe

Final Thoughts:

Don’t be intimidated by the shear volume of dishes and the fact that several are served immediately right from the skillet. Planning things out is a must but easy to do. For instance I made the soup a day ahead (it’s always better that way anyhow), prepared the potatoes and ceviche well before the first guest arrived. The same with the ribs but I did finish them off on the grill just prior. And as for the three dishes above, they are quick fire recipes so while our guest sampled the other offerings, I cranked these out one by one in succession. This worked well as I was able to cook before and audience which made the presentation that much more interesting. Don’t be scared! Give it a try!