Download high-resolution image

Tapas

A Taste of Spain in America: A Cookbook

Author José Andrés, Richard Wolffe

Hardcover

$35.00 US

Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed | Clarkson Potter

7.73"W x 10.25"H x 0.84"D | 37 oz | 14 per carton

On sale Nov 08, 2005 | 256 Pages | 9781400053599

Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

A classic Spanish cookbook from José Andrés, a humanitarian, James Beard Award winner, New York Times bestselling author, and one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People.

Tapas are Spain's gift to the world of great cooking: a fresh and fun way to eat with friends and family—and easy to make at home. Using simple Mediterranean ingredients, a tapas feast is a perfect combination of little dishes packed with big flavors. Tapas by José Andrés is the first major book in a generation to celebrate this world-renowned way of eating, from a man who is the best possible authority: an award-winning Spanish chef in America, with seven highly acclaimed restaurants to his name. Named Bon Appétit's Chef of the Year, José is a star in American cooking, as well as the nation's leading expert on Spanish cuisine. Having worked as a chef in the United States for two decades, he's also a thoroughly American cook who draws on American ingredients for his inspiration, and is a master at translating his native Spanish cooking for this country's kitchens. His simple and delicious recipes include:

• Fish such as American Red Snapper Baked in Salt; Monkfish with Romesco Sauce; and Basque-Style Stuffed Maryland Blue Crabs
• Chicken including Catalan-Style Chicken Stew; Chicken Sautéed with Garlic; and Chicken with Lobster
• Pork such as Chorizo Stewed in Hard Cider; Figs with Spanish Ham; and Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples
• Rice dishes including Lobster Paella; Black Rice with Squid and Shrimp; and Traditional Rice with Clams

All these recipes are full of tremendous flavor and creativity, as well as in-depth ingredient notes and a rich atmosphere that will transport you to the lush countryside, hip cafés, and sun-drenched coasts of Spain—and back again to dinner at home.

"Hero of the Spanish Revolution . . . José Andrés helped create the Spanish food boom in America." —Food & Wine

"José Andrés represents the broad spectrum of Spanish (and Hispanic) cooking . . . better than anybody else in America today." —Colman Andrews, Saveur

“The boy wonder of culinary Washington. . . a phenomenal success.” —R. W. Apple, Jr., New York Times

“José Andrés is Big Daddy for all things Spanish in America—and Tapas is the mother lode for anyone interested in ‘tiny bite’ cuisine or the exciting and the rapidly expanding Iberian influences that are changing the world of cooking. The future is Spain—and this book will prepare you for it.” —Anthony Bourdain

“José Andrés has done an admirable job of bringing the authentic taste of Spain—especially Spanish tapas and the tapas style of eating—to the American restaurant scene. Now he brings his knowledge and enthusiasm for the extraordinary cooking of his homeland to our homes with this handsome volume.” —Penelope Casas

“Small plates are the only way to fully experience a great chef’s style and flavors. Thank you, José, for sharing your creations with us.” —Jean-Georges Vongerichten

“I’m certain that for many this book will change their view of Spanish cooking. It goes without saying that José is already one of the world’s best chefs and has a bright future before him.” —Ferrán Adriá

José Andrés grew up in the Asturias region of northern Spain and was a protégé of Ferran Adria of the renowned El Bulli restaurant near Barcelona. In 2003, José was named Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic by the James Beard Foundation and in 2004 was named Chef of the Year by Bon Appétit. José and his ThinkFoodGroup run seven destination restaurants in and around Washington, D.C., including the Spanish tapas bar Jaleo and the highly acclaimed minibar by José Andrés. His first cookbook, Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America, was published in 2005. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and three daughters. View titles by José Andrés

Richard Wolffe is an award-winning journalist and political analyst for MSNBC television, appearing frequently on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann and Hardball with Chris Matthews. He covered the entire length of Barack Obama's presidential campaign for Newsweek magazine. Before Newsweek, Wolffe was a senior journalist at the Financial Times, serving as its deputy bureau chief and US diplomatic correspondent. Wolffe is the author of the New York Times bestseller Renegade: The Making of a President and Revival: The Struggle for Survival Inside the Obama White House. He currently writes a twice-weekly column for the Guardian (London) and lives with his family in Washington, DC. View titles by Richard Wolffe

This tapa is based on a fairly modern Basque-country dish, which has become very much a part of the mainstream. Basque people love their crabs, and txangurro has grown into something of a national dish in the region. For me, the most frustrating part of preparing this dish is that I rarely finish making it. Why? Because I love to eat the meat as I’m cleaning the crabs.

For the crabs:

• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 8 fresh blue crabs (see tips), preferably female (about 2 1/2 [2.5] pounds total, to yield 1/3 [one-third] pound of meat)

For the filling:

• 6 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 [.5] Spanish onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 [.5] leek, white part only, well washed and finely chopped
• 1 guindilla chili pepper (or your favorite dried chili pepper)
• 2 tablespoons Spanish brandy
• 1/4 [one-fourth] cup Txacoli (a Basque white wine) or other fresh, young white wine
• 6 fresh tarragon leaves
• Salt to taste

Cook the crabs: Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add the sea salt. When the water is boiling, drop in the crabs and cook for 8 minutes. Drain, and allow the crabs to cool. Then remove the claws and legs, taking care to keep the upper shell intact. Working over a bowl to collect the juices, remove the meat from the claws, legs, and body. Reserve the juices and the crabmeat. Carefully clean and set aside 4 of the empty shells.

Prepare the filling: Cut each tomato in half lengthwise. Place a grater over a bowl and grate the open side of the tomatoes into the bowl. Discard the skin. Strain the grated flesh through a sieve to produce 2 cups of tomato puree. Set it aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over a medium flame. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown a little, about 30 seconds. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the leeks and the guindilla, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.
Add the brandy and the wine, and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree and cook until it thickens and begins to darken in color, about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the crabmeat. Add the crab juices and the tarragon. Stir to combine, and add salt to taste.

To serve, place an empty crab shell on each plate. Fill the shells with the crabmeat mixture. Serve with a teaspoon on the side.

José's tips

If your time is limited you can buy crabs already cleaned and boiled. Just make sure that they have not been seasoned and are very fresh. If you can’t find Maryland blue crabs, you can always substitute Dungeness crabs from the West Coast.

To have great recipes like this one sent directly to your inbox, join The Potter Recipe Club. Visit ClarksonPotter.com for more details.