Tapas tips from top Spanish chef

Jun 4 2009 By Andrew Jackson

IMAGES of small, greasy, cheesy fried aubergine dishes often pop up when we think of tapas, the traditional Spanish cuisine. Yet in recent years, Spain has become the epicentre of gastronomic brilliance.

It has pioneered a revolutionary attitude to food called "la nueva cocina" - the new kitchen - and is home to the world’s top restaurant, El Bulli, which serves dishes such as cuttlefish ravioli with coconut and ginger, and almond ice cream swirled with garlic oil and balsamic vinegar.

So it’s surprising that its national cuisine has such a lacklustre reputation.

M Teresa Segura, a Spanish chef based in London, hopes to help change this with her new book, World Of Flavours: Tapas.

Yet Segura admits that the worst tapas she has even eaten was in Britain.

"It was in a typical Spanish restaurant in London. Sorry about that," she laughs.

"I was served a dish of pollo al ajillo (garlic chicken) which had been stuffed full of coriander instead of parsley. Coriander is not a herb that is used in traditional Spanish cooking and somehow the combination just did not work."

Segura, who was born in Cadiz, says the most important ingredient when making tapas is imagination.

"Many British people think that tapas is a particular type of dish, but tapas can be made from absolutely anything, as ’tapas’ literally means small dish," she explains.

"In Cadiz, one of the specialities is the pescadito frito (fried fish) which is just delicious.

"I also like salpicon, which you can get at El Faro restaurant in Cadiz. It’s a salad made with raw red and green peppers, onion, tomatoes and fresh seafood."

Segura recommends starting with fresh, high-quality ingredients - fish, meat, fruit and vegetables like tomatoes and peppers and, of course, good quality virgin olive oil.

Combining the right flavours to give your dish the correct zing is part of the fun.

"For beginners there are many simple dishes such as gambas al ajillo, which are fried prawns in garlic and a pinch of pepper. Or patatas bravas, which consists of cooked potatoes with a spicy sauce."

She points out that tapas is perfect for summer evenings. "Although I love the culinary variety which can be found in the UK, I do very much miss the traditions of home. In Spain, eating is about sharing and spending time with friends and family in a relaxed fashion."

Here are five recipes to try with loved ones.

:: RED ONION AND ORANGE SALAD (ENSALADA DE CEBOLLA Y NARANJAS)

(Serves 4 as a starter)

4 ripe medium oranges, peeled

1 small red onion, finely sliced

2 tbsp raspberry vinegar

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly-ground pepper

4 tbsp raisins soaked for 20 minutes in hot water, then drained

20 black olives, pitted

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

2 tbsp finely chopped black almonds

Sprigs of fresh mint, to garnish

Remove the white pith from the oranges and cut the fruit crosswise into 5mm slices. Arrange on a serving platter and scatter over the sliced red onion.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spoon this dressing over the onion and oranges. Sprinkle with the raisins, olives, sunflower seeds and almonds. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve chilled.

:: CHILLED TOMATO SOUP (GAZPACHO ANDALUZ)

(Serves 8 as a starter)

100ml olive oil

50ml red wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp Tabasco sauce

4 large ripe tomatoes, sliced

900g tinned plum tomatoes

1 green pepper, sliced

1 cucumber, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

Ice cubes

Chopped tomatoes, to garnish

Croutons, to garnish

Hard-boiled eggs, diced, to garnish

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, cumin and Tabasco sauce in a food processor with half of the vegetables and reduce to a puree.

Transfer the soup mixture to a large bowl. Blend the remaining vegetables and add to the soup. Add ice cubes (or water) to taste, and additional salt if necessary. Refrigerate until very cool, or overnight. Before serving, garnish the gazpacho with the chopped tomatoes, croutons and diced hard-boiled eggs.