Just in time for summer entertaining ideas, it’s World Tapas Day on June 15, 2017.
Tapas are Spain’s definition of small appetizers, hors d’oeuvres or finger foods and deserve a day of celebration since they have become a very hip food around the world.
What is World Tapas Day?
World Tapas Day is a world-wide celebration of Spain’s tapas organized by the 33 offices of Turespaña, the Spain Tourism public body responsible for marketing Spain as a travel destination. In the US, World Tapas Day events will take place in Portland, Oregon, Miami, Florida and New York City.
The Spain Tourism Board in New York in collaboration with Saborea España, Whole Foods Market and Foods from Spain from June 1 to June 15, are hosting a sweepstakes, tapas menu events, a selection of gourmet products from Spain on sale in Whole Foods Market stores citywide and more.
Also in New York, from June 8th thru June 15th, people can enjoy a set price Tapas Menu at “Harbor Bar WFM Bryant Park” and at “The Roof on WFM Third & 3rd (Brooklyn).”
Win a Trip to Spain
To top it all off, you could win a trip to Spain! The Spain Tourism Board in New York and Whole Foods Market NYC give you the chance to WIN a Tapas Travel Adventure for two. To enter, all you have to do is follow @WholeFoodsNYC and @Spain on Instagram. Find the #WFMTapasDay Instagram Post and tell them your favorite tapas from Spain in the comments section.
Details
– June 1st-15th: All Whole Foods Market Stores in NYC – shop from a selection of gourmet products from Spain.
– June 8th-15th: Visit “Harbor Bar WFM Bryant Park” and “The Roof on WFM Third & 3rd (Brooklyn)” for a unique Tapas Menu.
– June 1st-16th: Online contest on Instagram @WholeFoodsNYC.
Admission: All tapas lovers are welcome!
Learn more: Visit http://www.spain.info/en_US/world-tapas-day-us/reportajes/new-york.html
How to Make Your Own Tapas on Tapas Day
You can enjoy tapas year-round at home thanks to recipes shared by Foods & Wines From Spain and from a new cookbook, The Basque Book
by Alexandra Raij with Eder Montero and Rebecca Flint Marx, copyright © 2016, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
Foods & Wines From Spain Recipes
Bread Fritters with Sugar
Bread Fritters with Sugar
Makes 4 servings
(Torrijas)
4 thick slices of day-old bread
1 cup sweet Sherry or milk with sugar to taste
1 large egg, beaten
Olive oil for frying
Sugar or honey
Ground cinnamon
Soak the slices of bread in the sweet wine or sweetened milk until the bread has absorbed the liquid. Dip the slices of bread into the beaten egg and fry them in the Spanish extra virgin olive oil, turning to brown both sides. Sprinkle with sugar. As an alternative, dip them into honey that has been thinned by heating it gently. Serve hot or cold.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Serrano Ham-Wrapped Fig Skewers
Serrano ham-wrapped fig skewers
Makes 4 servings
6 very thin Serrano ham slices
¼ cup Manchego cheese
3 ripe figs, quartered
Black pepper
Cut each Serrano ham slice lengthways into 2 strips. Shave the Manchego cheese with a vegetable peeler to make 12 shavings and grate the rest, about ½ tablespoon. Place one manchego shaving on each Serrano ham strip. Place one fig quarter on top. Sprinkle with a pinch of pepper. Wrap up the fig in ham. Secure with a skewer. Sprinkle with grated Manchego cheese just before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Source: www.foodswinesfromspain.com
The Basque Book
The Basque Book is a new new cookbook with more than 100 recipes is a must have for sampling recipes of Spain’s Basque region including tapas. Tapas in the Basque region are known as “pintxos.” Here are two tapas (or pintxos) recipes to try in honor of World Tapas Day.
Open-faced Fried Quail Egg and Chorizo Sandwich
Arraultza
Makes 6 servings
This charming pintxo is a real crowd-pleaser: who doesn’t love fried eggs and chorizo? In the version we make at Txikito, we cut the chorizo into very thin matchsticks, which makes it easier to eat and ensures that all of the flavors come through in each bite. Make sure that the chorizo is at room temperature, as cold chorizo is waxy and not as tasty and will make your eggs cold. |
5 ounces dry-cured spicy chorizo, at room temperature
6 tablespoons sweet vegetable “marmalade”, at room temperature, or 1 Spanish onion, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, and pinch of kosher salt
6 (½-inch-thick) slices baguette, cut on the bias
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 quail eggs, at room temperature
Maldon salt, for finishing
Using a sharp knife, cut off the tips of the chorizo, then cut it in half at its U bend to create 2 logs. Carefully make a shallow incision along the length of each log and peel off the thin casing. Slice the chorizo crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise into thin slices and then cut the slices into matchsticks. Alternatively, cut the chorizo logs crosswise into thin coins. Set aside.
If using the vegetable marmalade, spread 1 tablespoon of it onto each baguette slice. If using the onion, dice it very small, then cook it very slow and low in a frying pan with the oil and salt for about 25 minutes, until very soft and sweet. Let cool to room temperature, then spread about 1 tablespoon onto each bread slice. Top the marmalade or slow-cooked onion with a generous amount of the chorizo, then make a small well in the middle of each mound of chorizo.
In a very small frying pan, heat the oil over high heat. Add the quail eggs one at a time, then reduce the heat and fry. Nestle a fried egg in each chorizo well. Sprinkle a little Maldon salt over each yolk and serve at room temperature.
Scallop in its Shell (Or Spoon) with Jamón Ibérico Fat and Soy-Sherry-ginger Vinaigrette.
Makes 6 servings
Cucharillas are pintxos served in spoons, often of the Chinese soup spoon variety. If you’re lucky enough to have access to the incredible Taylor Bay scallops farmed on Cape Cod, I recommend using them and portioning three scallops per shell or spoon. Served nearly raw, the sweet scallops make a great match for salty jamón ibérico fat, and the sherry vinegar and the soy lend some acidity to cut through both. Although the use of soy may seem incongruous, Asian ingredients are popular among chefs in the Basque Country, who consider them “muy moderno.”
2 cups kosher salt
3 green onions, white and light green parts only, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
¼ cup sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon sugar
12 scallop shells (ask your fishmonger) or ovenproof Chinese soupspoons
12 medium scallops, small outer muscle removed
24 very thin (1-inch square) slices jamón ibérico fat or Italian or Spanish lardo
½ cup microcilantro, or ½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
Preheat the broiler or oven to 500°F. In a bowl, combine the salt with enough water (about ¾ cup) to create the texture of wet compacted sand.
To make the vinaigrette, in a bowl, stir together the green onions, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Depending on the acidity of your vinegar, you may want to add an additional pinch of sugar. If your soy sauce has made the vinaigrette too salty, stir in a little water, too.
Place 12 small mounds of wet salt (about 1½ teaspoons each) on a baking sheet and balance a scallop shell on top of each mound. (You may have to do this in batches.) Place a scallop in each shell and top with a slice of the jamón fat. Broil or bake until the scallops are warmed through and the fat is transparent, about 1 minute. Repeat as needed with the remaining scallops.
Remove from the broiler and top each scallop with about 1½ teaspoons of the vinaigrette and some microcilantro. If serving the scallops in shells, apply more wet salt to a platter and balance the shells on top. If serving in spoons, forgo the salt and set the spoons directly on the platter. Serve immediately.
Reprinted with permission from The Basque Book by Alexandra Raij with Eder Montero and Rebecca Flint Marx, copyright © 2016, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photographs copyright © 2016 by Penny De Los Santos
