In Spain they are an unshakable institution, a national habit that, even outside the border, is loved more and more – think that in June we even celebrate the World Tapas Day. Not just aperitif: the tapas brighten up and solve our convivial dinners. And if, according to science, cooking for others is a real cure for our health, they are the perfect solution to enjoy lively morsels in the company even at home.
First we make a distinction: there are ‘tapas’, which are the appetizers that plug the small hole in the stomach that you have at a certain time, when the work day is over and a glass of wine falls into our hands … They are spread throughout the Iberian peninsula and are more similar to our appetizer. And then there are the ‘pinchos’, the sophisticated tapas of the Basque country, an internationally recognized land as a gourmand, where the morsel rises to a mini culinary masterpiece.
The accompaniment of a alcoholic beverage – wine and beer in the first place – is the rule, while non-alcoholic is not contemplated. There main difference with the Italian aperitif is the social aspect: while we conceive it as choosing a place to sit, drink and tease before dinner, in Spain – Basque land or not – it is atraveling experience. The ‘tapeo’ or ‘ir de tapas’ is moving from bar to bar to another glass accompanied by a new snack. Often on the weekend there is dinner based on tapeo: instead of ‘comer’, eating is preferred ‘Picar’, tease. In the Basque Country in particular, this often happens in feet, which makes social exchange even more lively.
Tapas can potentially be anything. The most famous of all is the tortilla, of course, the tall and creamy omelette with potatoes. And also in the pinchos or "Pintxos" – as we say in Euskera, in Basque – we can indulge ourselves in infinity (it also exists an excellent app called "Pintxos". To quote some of the more typical: cod (that is different from the stocafisso!) with aioli sauce (which also tastes great with stockfish!) or the ‘pincho de la carrillera’, or the beef cheek with a sauce that could be made of apples rather than caramelized onions.
While tapas are more like what could be served in an Italian aperitif – often the basis is bread, with anything above it, from anchovy on – especially in the case of pinchos, it is often a question of real mini-portions of dishes that in one meal could be main secondary dish. So much so that in many cases instead of pincho – of Russian salad rather than mushroom skewer or grilled squid – you can order the 'ración', that is the portion. To share, or make dinner.
In the Basque Country friends are rarely invited home: they are rather invited to go for pinchos. Not so with us. But what about invite friends to "go for pinchos" to your home? For a different and fun dinner, you could set up two or three ‘bar de tapas’ or ‘bar de pinchos’ in your home! Thus, even if the rooms are small, the guests can be moved to small groups of bars in bars, each – just like in reality! – with his specialty. It could be a point that offers morsels of sea, for example skewers of prawns and bay leaves and grilled aromatic calamari; one that serves foods of South American inspiration, like the mini tortillas revisited in Italian and the Mexican peppers and one addressed to the cheeses – puff pastry with toma and caramelized onions and buffalo rice balls.
The selection just made? Absolutely arbitrary and fantasy! You can indulge in your imagination, feel like experience and art in recycling of leftovers (for example, those of chicken). Prepare everything first, prepare the individual portions, prepared as a bar – with a lot of alcohol in the various points, maybe a sangria on one side and a Brazilian cocktail on the other.
The important thing is the appearance of the eye: the whole counter must be visually rich in pinchos, from immediate stimulation of salivation. And every morsel itself is taken care of in the look: even the most banal slice of bread with tuna and pickle is presented in 'more 3D' form, one could say. More scenic, in short: for example, place the gherkin or chilli or tomato not among the tuna and bread, but above the tuna steak, proudly soaring, pierced by its toothpick, ready to be challenged and tasted.
Carola Traverso Saibante
July 2019
DISCOVER THE COOKING COURSES OF SALT & PEPE
