Tapas & Rioja

Few things are as typical Spanish as tapas and red wine from La Rioja. The origin of tapas is the subject of many discussions. It is said that the first tapa was simply a piece of bread placed on top of the glass to keep the flies out. Tapa literally meaning ‘cover’ or ‘lid’. Hence the concept tapas was born. The original tapas were the simplest of foods, requiring little or no preparation. As the tradition developed, tapas became more elaborate, with each region developing their own specialties.

Few ingredients are needed for this recipe. The downside is that by the time you finish cooking you will notice a big amount of frying pans waiting for you to clean them...The thing is that you need to fry each ingredient separately. But we'll take care of that later. Now, let's get down to business.

Ingredients

A handful of quail eggs

1 eggplant

Chorizo 

Ham or prosciutto

All purpose flour, olive oil and salt.

Directions

1. Cut the eggplant in round slices, add some salt and batter in flour. Fry both sides until golden. Put them aside on a plate with a napkin so that it can absorb the oil.  

2. Fry the ham. Just slightly, otherwise it tastes too salty.

3. Cut a few round slices of chorizo and fry them (also slightly).

4. Fry the quail eggs. I advice you to use a big pan for this so that you can fry a few at the same time.

5. Now let's put the dish together. Start with a slice of eggplant followed by one of ham and then another one of eggplant as if it were a sandwich. Top it with the egg and a slice of chorizo (or two).

6. You may be thinking that the dish will be cold once you've finished with the whole procedure. No worries. You can reheat it in the microwave if necessary.

All that's left to do is pair it with your favorite red wine and enjoy!

Did you know that some of the most spectacular wineries in Spain are in the region of La Rioja? Take a tour around them here.

Another delicious option as a tapa is the famous tortilla de patata (Spanish omelette) with a glass of cold gazpacho. Find the recipe here.

Cristina xo

P.S. This Friday there will be a new link party. Be sure to stop by and share your posts!