Spanish Tapas

  • Spanish Omelette (Spanish Tortilla)
  • Spanish Chorizo in Cider (Chorizo a la Sidra)

The women of our church recently had our annual year-end function. The theme for this year’s function was “Around the World”. The assignment was to wear something from the country you represent and also to bring an authentic dish to the event.

After we walked the Camino in Spain, it was not only the beautiful landscape that stayed with us, but also their wonderful food. So, there was no doubt in my mind that Spain would be my choice for a country.

Berto jumped in and helped with the planning and preparation of the food. He suggested I bake my famous Spanish lemon cake while he would make all the tapas. (Yes, I constantly remind myself that I am a very lucky woman).

What does Spanish tapas consist of?

Tapas are appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. It can be served hot or cold and combined they can make a full meal.

Today we are going to show you how to make two of our favourite tapas. In next week’s Dish of the Week edition we will share two more dishes with you … and maybe there will be a photo to show how I turned into a Spanish lady.

Spanish Omelette (Tortilla)

We ate Tortilla almost every day on our Camino. It’s made with fried potatoes and onions and then cooked with eggs (almost like a regular omelette), but just wayyy better!

Put it on the table:

You don’t need many ingredients for this dish. If you have potatoes, onions and eggs in your pantry, you are ready to make a tasty Spanish omelette.

Ingredients for Spanish Tortilla

5 potatoes, thinly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

7 eggs

70ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt & pepper, to taste

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add potatoes and onion and season with salt and pepper.

Cook potatoes and onion until golden brown

Cook potatoes and onions, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and almost crisp (15 to 20 minutes).

Potatoes and onions after 20 minutes

Beat eggs in a bowl and season again with salt and pepper. Add cooked potatoes and onions to the eggs and stir gently to combine. Let this mixture rest for about 10 minutes on the kitchen counter. (This step is important, because the mixture now becomes slightly thicker, which make it easier to handle in the pan).

Beat eggs and add cooked potatoes and onions

Mixture thickened after 10 minutes

Reduce the heat to low and pour the egg mixture into the pan. Cook until the mixture begins to set and pull away from the sides of the pan. Lift slightly with a spatula to make sure that the eggs start to brown on the bottom – about 5 minutes.

Cook mixture for 5 minutes over low heat

Loosen omelette with a spatula. Invert a large plate over the pan and carefully turn the omelette onto the plate.

Turn omelette over onto a plate

Slide omelette, uncooked side down, back into the pan. Cook until eggs are set – another 5 minutes.

Cook omelette on the other side

When the omelette is cooked, put it on a plate to cut into slices. Serve hot, but it’s just as good when it’s cooled down a bit.

Golden brown Spanish Tortilla

Delicious tapa dish

Spanish Chorizo in Cider (Chorizo a la Sidra)

This is probably one of the simplest Spanish tapas out there, but the flavour and taste are some of the best.

Put it on the table:

Again, you don’t need much for this recipe. Savanna is my favourite cider in the summer, so we always have a few bottles in the fridge. Just make sure you use good quality chorizo – if it’s authentic Spanish, it’s a bonus!

Ingredients for Chorizo a la Sidra

200g Chorizo, sliced

1 bottle (330ml) Savanna Cider

Olive oil

Our local supermarket imports the Chorizo from Spain

If you use cured chorizo, like we did, cook it briefly in a little oil. This will bring out that wonderful flavour from the chorizo. Now add the cider and let it simmer together.

Cook chorizo in cider

Stir the chorizo ​​occasionally so it doesn’t dry out on one side. The cider will partly evaporate and partly absorb into the chorizo. Cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce is syrupy. The smell in our kitchen took me instantly to a tapas bar in the heart of Spain.

Remove chorizo from the cider sauce after 10 minutes

You can eat the chorizo ​​just like that, but there is nothing better than taking a fresh piece of bread and pouring some of that lovely sauce over it and finishing it off with a few pieces of chorizo. You will thank me later!

Chorizo a la Sidra

Stay tuned, next week we will make two more tapas dishes – just as delicious as these two!