Mike's favourite recipes...

TOSTADAS CON TOMATE    

[Literally toast but in practice normally with a difference]
 

RECIPE

Ingredients:

Take a small baguette style loaf and split down the centre 
Whizz some ripe tomato to a coarse puree.

Method:

Toast the cut side of the bread only and (if liked) rasp a raw garlic clove against the cut surface

Spread the toast with the tomato purée
Before pouring olive oil Ham, Salami cheese etc maybe layed across the tomato to taste

Now pour olive oil over the top liberally. 

TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA

[SPANISH Omlette]

(Remember a Tortilla in Spanish is an omelette

whereas in Mexican Spanish it is a pancake )

RECIPE

Ingredients: 

1 kilo potatoes

1 finely chopped onion

4 – 5 eggs

½ tsp of salt

tsp of baking powder.

Olive Oil

METHOD: 

Peel the potatoes and either dice them or slice them thinly. 

Heat around 50ml of Olive Oil  in a deep frying pan until very hot

Then add the potatoes and onion stir them in the oil to seal them

Then reduce the heat slightly and continue frying without letting them brown. 

When they are quite tender (about 15 minutes) place a plate over the frying pan

and drain off the oil into a heatproof container. 

Beat together the eggs salt and baking powder

Then stir the mixture into the potatoes and mix well. 

Return the oil to the frying pan and heat,

and now pour in the egg and potato mixture. 

Let it set on the bottom but don't let it brown too fast. 

Shake the pan frequently to keep the tortilla loose. 

Now place the plate over the pan and turn the tortilla out. 

Slide the tortilla back into the pan to cook on the reverse side. 

[Note that a tortilla is normally about 3 cms thick when cooked]

All sorts of other ingredients may be incorporated but this is the classic version and will serve about six people as a tapa.  

Tortillas can be served hot or cold

and it is common practice here in Spain to let them cool

and then microwave them slice by slice if they are required hot. 

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