From the Chronicle Kitchen
Tapas
April 8th, 2009 | Peter Perez | Food and Drink, Weekly Recipes
Let me know your favorite tapas bar or favorite tapas to serve at home below, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of the book (in stores 4/29).
Pollo al ajillo
Garlic Chicken
I use chicken thighs for this dish because they remain juicier and are more flavorful than breasts, but chicken wings also work well. If you like a little heat, add a pinch of hot paprika or cayenne pepper with the sherry.
Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, or 12 chicken wings, tips removed
Sweet paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed, plus 2 cloves, minced
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup fino or manzanilla sherry
1/2 cup chicken broth
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Rub the chicken with paprika, salt, and pepper and set aside at room temperature for at least 1 hour or preferably in the refrigerator at least 8 hours or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not colored, 2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and fry, turning as needed, until golden on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes. You want them nicely colored on the outside but not cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, and then arrange the pieces in a cazuela or baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer.
Remove the crushed garlic from the oil and discard. Return the pan to low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook briefly. Add the thyme, bay, sherry, and broth, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the chicken.
Bake the chicken until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and discard the bay and thyme. If the pan juices are thin, transfer them to a small saucepan and cook over medium high heat until reduced, and then return to the cazuela. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve at once.
Wine
Spanish: rosé (Campo de Borja, Navarre), Tempranillo/blend (Rioja, Catalonia)
Non-Spanish: rosé (Rhône Valley and Provence, France), Pinot Noir (Oregon, France, New Zealand)
Variation
You also can complete the cooking on the stove top. Sauté the minced garlic as directed, return the chicken to the pan, add the sherry and broth, and simmer, uncovered, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the chicken is tender, 15 to 20 minutes
Purchase Tapas.
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Peter Perez
Senior Marketing Manager
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Favorite tapas bar: Dali in Somerville, MA.
Favorite tapas at home: Gambas al Ajillo
Favorite tapas out: Tostadas de Tinga-yum!
My favorite tapas at home is a lovely tortilla espanol. Perfect for the winter.
My favourite Tapas bar, sadly just closed its doors.
La Bodega in Minneapolis MN
Favorite tapas bar - don’t have a favorite…
But my favorite tapas treats are empanadas, especially the handmade by your friend’s Puerto Rican mother
Amada in Philly!
Never had Tapas before but always heard of it. Don’t have any Tapas bars nearby
Do I still qualify?
When my husband and I lived in Chicago, we loved Tapas Barcelona in Evanston.
Yum.
http://www.tapasbarcelona.com/
I love Ceviche in St. Petersburg FL and I love the Solomillo a la Parilla which is a grilled filet with wild mushrooms in a yummy cream sauce.
My boyfriend and I still talk about a lovely summer afternoon years ago spent on the patio at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba in Chicago.
My favorite tapas to serve at home is garlic chicken wings.
i love the fried green beans - there is a place near the mission district in san fran that is fantastic!
My favorite tapas bar is Toro Bravo in Portland, Oregon!
Not sure how “authentic” this is, but I love dates rolled in bacon. Pulpo en su tinta is pretty interesting, too, but I can’t say I like it…
MMMM Bacon wrapped dates! Sorry, must be the ADHD!!
When I’m broke but have a little extra time, I love to make up a pan of tortilla espanola or patatas bravas with some homemade mayo!
Second Dali’ in Cambridge, MA! They have this one plate that’s honey and goat cheese fried with caramelized onions… it’s out of this world.
My favorite tapas bar is in Worcester MA.
Bocado
http://www.bocadotapasbar.com/
I do most of my tapas consumption at home and I love making chicken with lots of paprika!
Zambra in Asheville is my fave Tapas bar.
The Burgundy Room in Columbus, Ohio has great wines and tapas!
http://www.burgundyroom.net
Patatas bravas! Yeah!
There was a lovely little tapas place that I passed every day on my walk to the library when I studied in Oxford. On misty moisty English mornings just the sight of the restaurant would bring me sunny dreams of Spain. mmmm…
This recipe looks delicious! I have never tried tapas before, it looks like I’ve been missing out on something good. I live in a rural area but will definitely check out tapas restaurants next time I make a trip into the city. Thanks for the book give-away, I’d love to win!! The recipe link has some great recipes too.
Sadly, we’ve just moved and had to leave our favourite tapas restaurant, in Reigate, Surrey, UK. So now we’ll have to look for another.
Mmmm, I love tapas. I don’t have a favorite since I don’t go out to them that often, but Dali and Toro are the two I love to go to in Boston, MA
In Anchorage, Cafe Savannah, 508 W 5th Avenue. (907) 646-9121
Only one in town, but fantastic! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
My local tapas bar is excellent, Tasca in Brighton, MA.
Emilio’s Tapas
4100 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Hillside, IL 60162
I used to go to the location in Wheaton, IL too until they closed.
I have to agree with comment #5, empanadas are delicious. I never had homemade, but the ones from a little family owned shop near my Uncles house are the best.
We’re fans of Andina in Portland, OR. I prefer the ham and the cheeses, while he likes the asparagus.
My favorite Tapas Bar is called Beast. It’s in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, check it out!
I’ve never attempted to make tapas at home, but maybe I’ll start.
Favorite tapas place would have to be a little restaurant in Murcia, Spain (that I don’t know the name of!) that served all different kinds of tapas on toothpicks. At the end of the meal, you count up your toothpicks and just pay for the food you ate.
Favorite tape to make at home would be the spanish tortilla, but I can never make it as soon as they do in Spain!
Just looking at this dish is making me hungry!
I live in Wichita, Kansas and my favorite tapas bar is Oeno - not only does it have a wonderful atmosphere, the food is great!
Favorite tapas bar is Costa Brava in San Diego
I’ll second Andina in Portland as a favorite! As for my favorite tapas it’s too hard to choose- Patatas Bravas, good serrano and manchego, marinated olives and anything with lots of garlic… or maybe it’s simply crusty bread slathered in garlic aioli.
Thanks for the recipe it looks delicious!
My favorite tapas place is Esperpento in San Francisco. And my favorite dish there is either the Patatas Alioli or the Ropa Vieja.
Favorite Tapas Bar - Cha Chaa Cha in SF - delicious fried plantains and black bean sauce!
Favorite tapas to make at home - sherry-garlic mushrooms!
I’ve never been to a tapas bar, and actually never ahd tapas. I have a feeling though that after making this recipe it will be my favorite.
My favourite Tapas bar “el Cisne”, my favourite tapa, from there: queso fresco a la plancha. Easy but delicious. I would have to add the bacalao croquetas too.Ummm
Yum! My favorite tapas is a baked jalepeno stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon…delish!
Favorite tapas at home: lemon and fennel marinated green olives.
No local tapas restaurants where I live
Sounds yummy!
My favorite tapas bar in Portland is Toro Bravo and in DC it’s Jaleo. Jaleo has the yummiest white sangria in the summer with peaches and strawberries in it.
My favorite tapas restaurant was a place in Madrid that I don’t know the name of–it was near the plaza mayor, and it was all underground. Marvelous!
I love having chorizo on crusty bread. A little drizzle of really good olive oil makes it just right!
Las Tapas in D.C. on 7th street.
So maybe these aren’t true tapas but….Piccolo Teatro in Sausalito, CA, serves great cicchetti (little snacks served at bars in Venice) for the small, small price of $2.50 each: the pickled raw vegetables are sweet and spicy and beautifully presented; the Monterey Bay Sardine Crostini packs several harmonious flavors and is plenty for 2; next time we’re trying the egg stuffed with tuna, fennel pollen, aioli…and several other bites. We ate there for the 1st time Wednesday huddled by the big corner fireplace. They are on the main street so people watching would be good from their outdoor patio. They provide heaters and blankets.
My favorite tapas is marinated olives.
It’s simple, but when you’re hungry and the olives are of good quality and they’re marinated with garlic and herbs, that’s just wonderful.
Favourite Tapas Taller de Tapas in Barcelona favourite tapas too many but I love chick peas and spinach and grilled calamari
It looks like this “Pollo al ajillo” recipe is going to be my new favorite! There aren’t any tapas restaurants near me, so I don’t have a favorite one…
Is there a possible substitute for the sherry?
This recipe looks so yummy, I’m excited to try it!
And congrats go to…wix! You picked an ICONIC tapa, patatas bravas–buenisimo. I even got Joyce Goldstein to autograph a copy of the book for you. ¡Buen provecho!
La Plancha in Moseley, Birmingham (UK) is a great Tapas bar.
I’m afraid I go with the classics - panfried chorizo and patatas bravas are my staples
This looks so delicious that I am going to make tomorrow night! YUM!
My favorite place for tapas is AOC in Los Angeles - downright tasty!
Modesto in The Hill neighborhood in St Louis does a wonderful job with tapas.
As for what I like to make — a good tortilla espanola is just so … good. I keep working on that one, someday I hope to perfect it. I don’t mind eating and sharing my practice runs in the meantime, though!