Tapas recipe selection

Here we have a selection of traditional tapas recipes, taken from my new recipe book (see right), to give you a taste of the real Spain. I will be changing them around on a reasonably regular basis, so if you keep coming back you'll eventually get them all for free!

However, if you want them all right now (and why wouldn't you?!), just go straight to the tapas recipe book page and within two minutes you could be reading it on your Kindle, Nook, iPad/iPhone or other ereader. Or you could download the PDF and read it on your computer.

Here's the latest selection of recipes:

Huevos revueltos con jamon (scrambled eggs with serrano ham)

Scrambled eggs are a traditional tapa in Spain. This recipe uses serrano ham but you can use all kinds of ingredients to give it different flavours. Try it with bacon, chorizo, asparagus, spinach, mushrooms or onions.

Cut the jamon into small pieces. Beat the eggs together with the milk (if desired) and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped jamon and pour into a frying pan. As the egg is cooking, gently stir it until it is cooked through but still very soft. Keep a close eye on it, if you leave it too long it will go like rubber! Once it’s ready, get it on your plate straight away and serve with crusty bread. Tapas recipes don't come much simpler than this!

Boquerones fritos (Fried anchovies)

A lot of people don’t like tinned anchovies but these are entirely different. Fresh anchovies are a real treat for fish lovers everywhere. And tapas doesn’t come much simpler than this. Serves 4.

Take the heads and tails off, then gut the little fishes. You can then just slit them along the belly and open them out. This exposes the backbone which can be lifted out.

Next, you wash the fillets very well and pat them dry. This again is a bit fiddly but it's worth it.

Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Dip the fillets into the flour mixture, then into the beaten egg, and then into the hot oil quickly. Keep a close eye on them, they cook very quickly.

Serve straight away with the lemon wedges and crusty bread.

Albóndigas (Meatballs in spicy tomato sauce)

Another of the staple tapas recipes which you will find everywhere. This is a dish which originated with the Moors so you will usually find some exotic spices in most recipes, especially those from the Andalucian region where the Moors had the most influence. Serves 6.

For the meatballs:

In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients (not the olive oil) until you have a nice stiff consistency. Cover and leave in the fridge for about half an hour. When ready, make your meatballs, taking about a tablespoon of mixture for each one. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs in batches on a med-high heat. You want them nicely browned. Add more oil if necessary for each batch. Drain on some kitchen roll and keep warm.

For the sauce:

Use the same frying pan (but tip out any excess fat) to make use of the lovely meat juices that should have caramelised on the bottom. Add the oil if necessary and cook the onion until soft and translucent, then add the garlic, a few grinds of black pepper and cook for another minute or so. Make sure you don’t burn the garlic as it will taste bitter. Add the wine and increase the heat to high, let the wine boil for a minute or so to intensify the flavour. Add the can of tomatoes, the puree and the stock. Bring back to the boil then simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the peas, stir in the cayenne pepper and the meatballs and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.

Serve it up, piping hot, straight from the pan with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Ensalada rusa (Russian salad)

Another tapas recipe that you'll find everywhere. This is a very quick and simple recipe that you can throw together in no time.

Peel the potatoes and cut into small dice of about 1cm. Boil in salted water for about 10 mins or until soft. Drain and leave to cool

Hard boil the eggs then remove the shells and leave in cold water to cool. When they're cool enough to handle, chop into cubes and place in a bowl with the potato.

Blanch the beans and refresh in cold water to retain their 'bite'. Then add these and the chopped olives to the bowl. Finally, add the tuna, the mayonnaise, the salt and pepper and the lemon juice and mix gently to combine.

Garnish with the whole olives, maybe some flat-leaf parsley and serve.

There are many variations on this dish. Some have carrots, or peas, or capers, or anchovies, or red pepper (capsicum), or mustard - or a combination of all the above!

Try it all and see what suits you best.

Want more recipes?

I hope you enjoyed this small selection, and thank you for visiting. If you would like more, just go straight to the tapas recipe book page and within two minutes you could have 32 of the most popular traditional tapas recipes delivered straight to your computer, or the ereader of your choice.

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