Tapas, Pintxos: Spanish Small Plates

Tapas, Pintxos: Spanish Small Plates

Tapas is Synonymous with Spanish Food

I bet you automatically think “tapas” when you think of Spanish food. Here in the U.S., we have come to think of tapas as the whole category of small plates of food from Spain. Sometimes they don’t even need to be Spanish. Sometimes tapas just means the restaurant serves small portions and encourages sharing. It’s pretty simple. Things get much more confusing when you try to eat tapas in Spain. Have you heard of pintxos?

What are Tapas?

Tapas might mean that you get a slice of cheese or a little bowl of olives when you order your glass of wine or beer. Sort of like chips and salsa appear as if by magic at a Tex-Mex restaurant here in Texas. It’s automatic. Complimentary tapas accompanying your drink order used to be the norm in Spain. In some places, like Andalucia and in more rural areas, this is still true. These days though, it can mean ANY small plate of food, which means ANYTHING can be a tapa if it is a small enough serving. It is more a style of eating than a type of food. It’s my favorite way of eating, btw. Order one as a quick, delicious snack or order several as a full meal to share with your friends. To my mind, there is no better way to eat.

What are Pintxos?

Matters get a bit more confusing when you head north. There you will see small plates referred to as pintxos or pinchos. You will often see the term used instead of tapas and in the same way. This type of small plate originated in the Basque country. Initially, it described small bites on skewers. These days many people use the word pintxo/pincho like we Americans use the word tapas. It might specify a type of tapas or the whole category, so context matters. Did someone ask you if you want a pintxo? Is there is a pintxo specific chalkboard posted in the bar? Expect food on a skewer. Did someone tell you she LOVES pintxos? They mean the whole category. I know… confusing.

A La Plancha: Griddled Things

More of a cooking method than a category many small plates begin on the plancha. This cooking method involves placing food on a screaming hot sheet of metal. The plancha is not dedicated to meats either. Anything can go on the plancha. It could be steaks, fish, mushrooms or red peppers. Everything is more delicious when cooked on the plancha! Once cooked the items might find themselves on a skewer or as part of a montadito (see below). The possibilities are endless!

Habas: Beans

The Spanish love of beans becomes clear once you spend any time in Spain. In Spring expect small sweet peas and all sorts of beans that only appear when they are at their peak. These beloved green peas, favas, and spring legumes are anything but humble. They are key components in refreshing cold salads in the spring and summer. When the weather cools, you will find their dried cousins in a hearty warming braise. They often come served in small ceramic cazuelas that are typical of the Spanish table.

Estofados: Stewed and Braised Things

Other items you might find in a cazuela are a variety of long-cooked foods like braised oxtails or a fish stew.

Fritos: Fried Things

Here in the US, we fry many, many things. Generally, fried fish fillets, fried potatoes or fried chicken. Well, let me introduce you to the world of Spanish fried foods! How about a little cup of golden crispy artichoke leaves with a side of light yellow, creamy lemon aioli? Or would prefer a small plate of croquetas de bacalao? Delightful little golden brown balls of deep-fried salt cod and cheese. Even more traditional, a plate of tiny whole fish breaded and deep-fried. Spaniards eat them in one or two bites with an accompanying ale. Why yes please, I would like that very much!

Ensaladas: Salads

These small plated salads are usually light on lettuce, but big on flavor. You might get a plate of paper-thin shaved mushrooms with a light vinaigrette. Or a plate of roasted beets and fresh apple dressed in with sherry vinegar and fresh herbs. Spanish salads are always delicious. You will never receive a dull plate of iceberg lettuce and sliced tomato!

Pintxos: Things on Skewers

Most often found on plates on the bar. These cold but delicious little creations are a sight to behold! Imagine, a creamy white and yellow deviled egg topped with a curled pink and white striped shrimp. Now envision that shrimp wrapped around a thin, leaf-green pickled Padron pepper. Then it is all held together with a small bamboo skewer called a “palillo.” Right next to that pintxo there is a little white plate. On it is a stack of purple caramelized shallots. The shallots sandwich a creamy white square of idiazabal cheese. The whole dish is also drizzled with a sherry vinegar reduction. Beautiful right?

Montaditos: Things on Toast

You can find these lovely little bites on most bars waiting for hungry diners to snatch them up. These small bites are no less gorgeous and creative than their skewered counterparts! Imagine, an oval of golden toast spread with herbed creme fraiche. Then draped with a dark green arugula leaf. On top of the arugula, a bright red roll of seared beef. The entire bite crowned with a dollop of onion jam. Next to it, you see a lovely little piece of rustic bread topped with a pale pink and white mixture. Take your first bite. You will taste salty, diced Jamon Iberico (Spanish cured ham) mixed into crème fraiche. No matter how complex or straightforward Montaditos are both beautiful and delicious.

Bocadillos: Little Sandwiches

Here in the US, we call these sliders. They are oh so much more than that! Like all sandwiches, bocadilloas are anything and everything between two slices of bread. Some are as simple as a few slices of chorizo on bread rubbed with ripe, deep red summer tomato. Others are elaborate sandwiches stacked high with fruit, cheese, ham, and honey.

Sopas: Soups

Warm or cold, the Spanish love their soups. The most famous of which is cold tomato soup (gazpacho) Their cold soups don’t stop there though. You might get an icy cold shot of white asparagus, and potato soup. You are likely to encounter sweeter versions. Enjoy a lovely pale orange melon soup sprinkled with chili flakes and topped with a piece of crispy ham. If the weather is colder, your little shot of soup might be a bit of creamy, briny, clam chowder. These little shots of soup pack a lot of intense flavor into a small package.

Racion: A small plated item

Raciones are never on the bar. They are always on a chalkboard at the bar or on the menu. Raciones are usually items from the kitchen. Always hot, and in my experience always the best things on offer. These are not colorful, beautiful, plated, and presented items. For the most part, they are brown. Don’t let that stop you. What they lack in color and visual flair they make up for in flavor. Raciones can be ensaladas, estofadas, risottos, and more.

Albondigas: Meatballs

These might contain meat like lamb, pork, beef or even fish! They include breadcrumbs and egg and are usually floured and then fried. They might come sprinkled with parsley and covered with a gravy or a mustard sauce. If you are in southern Spain, you might see these listed as almondingas or almondiguillas.

Conservas: Preserved Things

Unlike canned foods here in the U.S., Spanish conservas are high gourmet fare. You will find tuna, razor clams, sardines, mussels, octopus, and more. Preserved and canned in various ways including salt, oil, vinegar and even sea water. Conservas are not mass canned for the sake of economy. Instead, the preservation process is a careful craft. The people that can these foods consider, each element of the process to achieve the best flavor. Conservas are beloved in Spain. So much so that there are even bars the specialize in conservas.

As you can see Spanish small plates are as varied and diverse as Spain itself. No matter what you call them they represent one of the most beloved of Spanish traditions good times with friends and family!

Resources:

If you are interested in finding out more about Spanish small plates, I highly recommend Gerald Hirigoyen’s “Pintxos: Small plates in the Basque Tradition” and Simone and Ines Ortega’s “The Book of Tapas.”

 

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An Ancient Path

This ancient pilgrimage, walked by thousands of devout Catholics since 812 AD is composed many different routes. Each route meanders through France and Spain. The pilgrimage ends at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia on the western coast of Spain. It is here where St. James’ remains are believed to be buried. If you keep your eyes peeled might see a scallop the symbol of the Camino de Santiago on an ancient building, cobblestone street or on a post with an arrow to guide the way.

Where once this pilgrimage was a strictly Catholic practice, today thousands of people walk this path for their own reasons. Some walk as a form of spiritual contemplation, some for the challenge and adventure, and some as an escape from modern life.

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I was really excited to discover that San Sebastian is one of the possible starting points for the Camino del Norte (the Northern Way). We saw many pligrims exploring the city with their backpacks and walking sticks. Is it weird to fangirl over people on a spiritual journey (don’t answer that… of course it is!) If you visit San Sebastian yourself, you may not notice them at the local pintxo bar, but you are sure to see a few at one of many gorgeous cathedrals scattered throughout La Parte Vieja (Old Town).

PS: Visit the cathedrals! They are gorgeous.

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La Parte Vieja

We rented a small apartment in the Historical Quarter of Old Town (La Parte Vieja) for our stay in San Sebastian. This area is rich in history, with cobbled streets, a fishing port, San Vincente Church, Santa Maria del Coro Basilica, and the San Telmo Museum. The streets are narrow and ancient. There are bars and restaurants crowded along each narrow street. These eateries are not competing against one another, per se. They are all part of a symbiosis of aromas and tastes. This is the gastronomic heart of San Sebastian.

Three Simple Rules for Your Best Pintxo Experience

Our hostess Monika took the time to map out some sights, and more importantly, mapped out the best pintxos bars to go to. These are the local’s bars. A place where you can see the same faces every day, stopping in for a bite and a beer at all times of the day. Most importantly, she laid out some hard and fast rules for a novice like me:

  1. Don’t be timid. Step up to the bar and look the bartender in the eye to order a drink or something to eat. The bar you are in may be very crowded. Be polite, but be forceful. Fortune favors the brave.
  2. Don’t just go for what’s on the bar. There will be a lot of options on the bar area. Most of these are cold pintxos and tapas. While good, they may not be the best the bar may offer. Take the time to look around at what others are eating. You may find what they are having is not set out. Look at the menu for other options. This is usually written on the wall behind the bartenders, if not on paper menus.
  3. Don’t worry about keeping track of what you eat. You are dealing with professionals here. The bartenders will keep track. Just be sure that if you do grab something off of the bar placements, look the bartender in the eye and show him what you got.

With those three simple rules, we were off to explore. Here are some of our favorite pintxos bars and what they serve best.

Bar Sport Calle Fermin Calbeton, 10

They had me at foie gras. I love foie gras. I don’t get enough here in Texas because it is insanely expensive and usually only bougie places serve it. But in Spain, it is not seen as a delicacy for only the ritzy fare. Our simple foie gras dish was a piece of toasted bread, two thick slices of seared foie gras, and a drizzle of aged sherry vinegar. Quite simply, this was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life. The cost? Three euros. Cheaper than a cheeseburger, but so much better.

La Mejillonera Calle del Puerto, 15

This small eatery showcases two food items very well: mussels and patatas bravas. La Mejillonera is not a fancy place. Basically, a box with a whole lot of locals shoved in to get a plate of mussels and the ubiquitous dish of fried potatoes covered in an aioli-like cream sauce. You will find that the locals throw the mussel shells on the floor. This is totally acceptable. This a cheap and well-loved bar for the local scene to enjoy.

Bar Txepetxa Calle Pescaderia, 5

I will speak for the majority of America in saying that we do not appreciate the lowly anchovy. After all, we really only know this tiny fish as something pulled from a can and usually plopped on a pizza by only those with the fortitude to withstand its intense flavor profile. But at Txepetxa, the anchovies are fresh and taste of the sea. Served in a variety of ways from simple pintxos on bread with a pepper sauce, to hot dishes fried with local veggies. My favorite is the simple pintxo. The anchovy is flaky white, briny, and nothing like what I have had before.

La Cuchara de San Telmo Calle Santa Korda Kalea, 4

This bar is a hidden gem tucked away by an alley to the museum, but it has some of the best food around. It is tiny and packed from the time they open, so push your way in and order! You will not find pintxos spread out on the bar so grab a menu. We shared a 45-day-aged ribeye, perfectly charred and tender and served with a chimichurri type sauce. We paired it with a risotto style rice dish with local wild mushrooms and smoked Idiazabal cheese. Once again foie gras was available, this time served in a massive portion with an apple compote and cider caramel. By the time I finished off this plate, I was sure I had gout.

La Vina Calle del 31 de Agosto, 3

A perfect way to end a night in San Sebastian is to stop in at La Vina for their specialty, cheesecake. Spanish cheesecakes are different from the New York style I am used to. The cake itself is very toasty, almost charred on top. It is served warm, and the texture is more of a soft cheese tension than cold firmness. Grab a slice with a nice Pedro Ximenez sherry to top of the evening.

Have you been to San Sebastian or other parts of Spain? What are some of your favorite places to eat? Drop us a line and let us know!

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We weren’t expecting to get in to Bodega 1900. Albert Adriá is one of the most famous restaurateurs in the world along with his brother Ferran, and both made elBulli one of the most renowned restaurants in the world. We approached his small Vermutería, Bodega 1900, in Barcelona with a “what the hell, it can’t hurt to ask” attitude. I tentatively asked the host, if we could get a table. The obvious reply came quickly. “Do you have a reservation?” “No…” I began to explain that we were walking past and decided to try, but before I could get past my first word, he turned sharply and pointed to the long bar along the wall. “Sit at the bar.” We were in! Tim and I could hardly contain ourselves. Giggling with glee was the most appropriate behavior, so we pulled ourselves together and pretended to be sophisticated adults. Ok, maybe a few giggles slipped out. There is memorabilia on the walls at Bodega 1900, but not in any obvious way. Classic vermouth posters, old elBulli menus and best of all, a collection of jamón hanging on the wall. Trust me when I tell you that there is nothing more beautiful in a restaurant than a group of cured dark pink pig legs dangling from the ceiling waiting to be carefully and expertly cut by a master. First things first, vermouth. It is a vermutería after all. What better way to begin our experience with Mr. Adriá? Our perfectly attentive host turns and asks us if we would like a drink. We order our vermouths and just a quickly as he had pointed us to the bar he asks us. “Our house-made vermouth?” “Yes, of course.” The vermouth he brought us is as dark as coca cola. It is dowdy sitting there with its one cube of ice in a simple glass tumbler. It is a basic, slightly frumpy looking drink. Like an old man in a cardigan and house shoes. There is a slice of orange and a chunk of ice. It’s not much to look at. I kind of love that about this drink. It is old-fashioned, comfortable, simple. Well, not exactly simple.

Bodega 1900 Vermouth

On the first sip, it is sweet and reminds me of vanilla and chocolate. It is a love story of a drink, both bitter and sweet. While we are sipping our vermouths, we begin to make our food choices. We go with the Jamón de Bellota. Spain’s famous acorn-fed pigs produce the worlds best ham, and the one at Bodega 1900 is even more special because it was aged for five years! We get some tomato bread to go with it (pan con tomate), navajas (razor clams), and percebes (goose barnacles). I am wiggling with excitement as we order. Our host nods with approval at our order and seems to be charmed by our joy. His smiles and asks, would you like olives as well? “Why, yes, yes we would.”

Our olives come out first, and it dawned on me. These olives were THE OLIVES. The famous elBulli olives. These were the olives that began the wave of molecular gastronomy that transformed menus across the world. We, of course, need a little explanation on how to eat them because these are not olives at all. They are a magical suspension of liquid that is the essence of everything olive in a bubble of liquid on a wooden spoon. It looks just like a giant green olive. It is oval, and shiny and presented like it is the most precious food item you will ever eat. One olive on a spoon, ready for you to discover its mysteries.

We slide them onto our tongues and as instructed, press the olive onto the roof of our mouth with our tongues. The olive bursts in my mouth and olive flavor washes over my palette, and I close my eyes in pure joy. They are olives; they are playful they are lovely.

Next? The jamón and the pan con tomate. The jamón is a woven mat of perfectly thin slices. None are too thick, none have any stringy parts. They are paper-thin slices of the world’s most perfect food. When I slide one of these pink and white little morsels in my mouth the difference between this jamón and all others I’ve had is clear. It is salty and sweet, and the fat is so soft it melts and wraps around my tongue in the most decadent way possible. Is it the five years of aging? The perfection of the slicing technique? The fact that this jamón has probably never been refrigerated? Yes, it is all those things. Every step of the way from birth to slice of perfection on my table led to this moment of perfect flavor and texture. I am grateful.

Accompanying it is the pan con tomate. I wasn’t expecting much. This ubiquitous Spanish bread can be underwhelming sometimes. Often the bread is bland and flabby with no flavor or personality; the tomatoes watery and sad. This is not the case with Bodega 1900’s pan con tomate. The bread is a perfectly crisp crouton. The tomato on top is sweet and tart and as red as a strawberry. Each toast perfectly accented with flaky sea salt that melts slowly in our mouth along with the tomato and the jamón. It might be simple, but it is the most delectable version of itself I have ever had.

Next up, razor clams. I love these bivalves. I’ve only ever had them when I am in Spain because they aren’t available in the middle of Texas. These particular navajas are the most beautifully presented version I have ever seen. Each one topped with a white escabeche that is mildly vinegary and a great match to the briny razor clams. Then we waited. I have been waiting to eat precebes again for 6 years, and I needed to wait just a little bit longer. Apparently, percebes take a while to prepare. I was okay with the wait, I was, after all, sitting in one of Ferran Adriá’s restaurants in the middle of Barcelona. I was happy and content to sit there all night! Tim on the other hand, while glad to wait, was horrified by the plate of food in front of us.

Those teeny tiny dinosaur legs did not look appetizing to him AT ALL. Whoever ate percebes for the first time must have been blinded by hunger. Despite their disconcerting appearance I love the sweet almost lobster-like flavor. You have to pop the precebes meat out of a thick purple tube, which isn’t all that difficult and certainly easier than crab or lobster. It does, however, get you a bit messy. I was enthralled and thrilled and totally excited to eat them up. Poor Tim, on the other hand, watched on in horror. He is unconvinced that there is any reason ever to eat precebes. After I gobbled up all the shellfish, we were, of course, offered the dessert menu. The waiter provided dessert suggestions. A slice of cheesecake and melon infused with white vermouth. How could we resist? I learned two things. First, the Catalan people LOVE their cheesecake and second, melon infused with white vermouth is flipping amazing.

The cheesecake (like our humble vermouth) is the most basic of desserts. No garnish, no drizzle, no crumble, nothing. It was completely unadorned. Just a simple wedge on a plate. Now, that might lead you to believe this cheesecake is nothing special. This is not the case. The cheesecake is creamy and much less sweet than its American counterpart. The best part though? The toasty skin. It makes it. There is a hint of citrus in the cheesecake too, but for me that brown toasty skin on the cheesecake makes it.

The melon delivered to the table in all its lime-yellow glory was beautiful. It was sprinkled lightly with marigold petals that contrasted beautifully with the color of the melon. I took my first bite and somehow the vermouth had amped up the melon flavor, made it sweeter, and added a touch of complexity. If there had been a whole melon in front of me, I would have eaten the entire thing. We tried to savor every bite, slow down and enjoy every single morsel. I think we accomplished our mission! When the waiter came by to check on us and clear away our plates, of happiness must have been apparent. “Did you like the melon” he asked? “WE looooooved the melon!” we exclaimed. And in perhaps the highlight of my evening our waiter smiles a huge, authentic smile and tells us, “I’m so glad, it’s my favorite”

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