Recipes by chef Guy Shevah
Tapas, Guy Shevah says, belongs more to the public domain than to the private household. After the end of work and before dinner in Spain, people roam from one tapas bar to another, to enjoy the drinks, appetizers and social interaction; then they go home, and sometimes even out to dinner. It is not customary to serve a wide variety of tapas in private homes, although most of them are relatively easy to prepare; usually there is a before-dinner cocktail, olives, fresh vegetables and a few light tapas dishes.
Tortilla de espinacas (potato and spinach tortilla)
400 grams spinach leaves, rinsed and dried
600 grams potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into cubes
1 large purple onion, cut in cubes
8 eggs
a bunch of parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
black pepper and salt
olive oil
In an ovenproof frying pan, steam garlic and spinach leaves in a little olive oil, with a little salt. Drain off liquid and set aside. Put pan back on the stove and saute onion cubes in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until brown. Add potato cubes, salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Add spinach and chopped parsley.
Beat the eggs in a bowl with baking powder, salt and pepper. Add the warm contents of the pan.
In the frying pan, heat up some oil and then pour in the contents of the bowl; lower heat and spread contents evenly. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
Put pan in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes, until dish is not runny. You can spread grated cheese over the dish, and garnish with parsley.
Patatas bravas
These are fried potato cubes, served with tomato sauce and mayonnaise, Spanish style. The literal translation of the name is “courageous potatoes”: Legend has it that those who eat the piquant tomato sauce are brave.
8 potatoes, unpeeled
1 tablespoon of salt
oil for deep frying
1 tablespoon of bravas sauce (recipe below)
1 tablespoon of alioli (recipe below)
Wash potatoes well, and cook them in water (with salt) until they soften, but are not too well done. Remove from pot and cool. Cut into mediumsized cubes, with peels.
Heat oil in a frying pan and saute potato cubes until they are golden. Alternatively, they can be coated with 2 tablespoons of oil, and baked in a warm oven, at 160 degrees.
After frying/baking, soak up excess oil with paper towels; sprinkle with salt, and serve with bravas sauce and alioli.
For the bravas sauce:
500 grams tomatoes, blanched and seeded
1/2 tablespoon hot paprika
1 teaspoon salt
dash of sugar
1 relatively large bay leaf
1 tablespoon vinegar
Put all the sauce ingredients in a pot and cook for half an hour, while stirring. Remove bay leaf, and mix ingredients so they form a uniform sauce.
For the alioli:
1 whole egg
1 medium-sized clove garlic
sunflower or canola oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
Put egg and garlic in a food processor; process while slowly adding oil, until well blended. Add lemon juice and salt, and continue to process. If a more diluted sauce is desired, add 2 tablespoons of water.
