Well I know my love of wine started in Spain. Perhaps so did my love of communal dining.Sushi. Fondue. You name it. There's something about sharing food with the people you love that I find so comforting.
Of course one of my favorites is the traditional Spanish tapas.
Tapas would be the fourth (and sometimes second) of the typical five meals Spanish people eat in their day. For them, this pace isn't about weight loss or keeping their metabolisms going. It's more or less a good excuse to take breaks from work and hang out with friends.
A quick debriefing on the Spanish feeding schedule: Meal one is typically a light breakfast of coffee, light cookies and fruit generally consumed at the ungodly hour that Spaniards wake up. A few hours later, they're in the cafe for drinks and some light tapas (This usually coincided with my morning coffee... I could never get into this early business). Third meal is the big meal during siesta. Anything's fair game. Fourth is the traditional post-work drinking and tapas, followed by dinner in the late evening.
I didn't know much about Spanish cuisine when I went there, but very quickly realized I loved it. Simple things like olives, serrano ham and manchego cheese drizzled with olive oil and all packed with amazing flavor.
And then of course there is the tortilla, a delicious egg and potato omelet that you can mix up with various other add ins.
I've made the tortilla several times before, including a few times with a recipe my brother scored from his host mother when he studied in Spain. For the paella party I made one from the Williams Sonoma Savoring Spain and Portugal cookbook.
A note on the tortilla: The potato-egg ratio is extremely important so the tortilla holds together. I allowed a renegade potato to find it's way into my mix this time around, so it didn't hold as firm as I would have liked it.
What you need:
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsps. olive oil (Live large and get the real Spanish kind. You'll notice a difference in the flavor. They sell it at Publix, and I'm guessing most other decent supermarkets.)
2 lb. baking potatos peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 yellow onions, thinly sliced
6 eggs, lightly beaten
4 oz. serrano ham
1 large red bell pepper
chopped flat leaf parsley
What to do:
Roast the red pepper. You can do this by heating the oven to about 375. Coat the red pepper in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 20 minutes. Occasionally turn the pepper so all sides get equal attention. After the 20 minutes, put the pepper in a bowel and cover with plastic wrap so the skin gets loose. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, remove skin, stem and seeds from inside. Chop and set aside.
Heat the 1/2 cup of olive oil in a frying pan and lightly fry the potatoes until tender, but not browned. You may have to do it in two patches (probably will). When done, transfer to plate and season with salt and fresh ground pepper.
Once you've removed the potatoes, add the onions to the frying pan and cook until golden. Remove and let sit for about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Add the onions, ham and roasted pepper and combine. Fold in the cooked potatoes.
Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and pour in the mixture. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Then you'll need to flip the tortilla. You can do this by placing a plate on the top, flipping it over and then sliding it back into the pan. Cook another five minutes or so until the second side has set.
Serve with parsley as garnish.
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