Tapas, the “little bites” served with sherry or wine in bars throughout Spain, have made a big impact in Chicago. The Friday section last week offered a tour of the area’s tapas bars titled “Rising to the Tapas.” We collected recipes from some of the chefs mentioned in the article.
Representing Spain, Emilio Gervilla contributes his preparation of stuffed and rolled eggplant as it is served at Emilio’s Tapas Bar and Restaurant, 4100 W. Roosevelt Rd., Hillside. But to underline the article’s point that tapas “are not always Spanish” these days, three other chefs have created non-traditional examples.
Sami Signorino of Piatti, 215 W. North Ave., offers a fish dish, sauteed tilapia fillets with fresh fruit salsa. Jonji Gaffud, who is in charge of the kitchen at Mambo Grill, 412 N. Clark St., serves up chimichurri chicken kebabs. And Daniel Castro of Santa Fe Tapas, 1962 N. Halsted St., shared a recipe for his pecan pancakes with grilled shrimp and cucumber salsa.
STUFFED AND ROLLED EGGPLANT
(BERENJENAS BRASEADAS)
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 appetizer servings
From Emilio’s Tapas Bar and Restaurant in Hillside.
1 medium eggplant, about 1 pound
Salt
Olive oil for brushing
6 ounces goat cheese, softened
Pinch each: thyme, rosemary
Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
4 ripe plum tomatoes
4-5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
Garnish:
6 leaves of argula or watercress
6 leaves of basil
1. Prepare a charcoal grill or heat broiler. Cut eggplant lengthwise into slices each 1/4 inch thick or thinner; there should be at least 6 inner slices; discard the slices with lots of skin. Sprinkle with salt on both sides; let drain on paper toweling while grill heats. Pat eggplant dry and brush lightly with oil. Grill or broil, 4 inches from heat source, until eggplant is golden on both sides and tender, about 10 minutes. Cool.
2. Mix goat cheese in small bowl with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Spread cheese mixture evenly over eggplant slices and then roll up.
3. Finely dice tomatoes and mix with olive oil to taste, minced basil, salt and pepper.
4. Divide tomato mixture between two plates. Top each plate with three eggplant rolls. Garnish with arugula and basil leaves.
CHIMICHURRI CHICKEN
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 4 hours
Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 appetizer servings
Jonji Gaffud serves this simple sauce/marinade at Mambo Grill in Chicago with a variety of grilled, skewered foods, including beef and shrimp.
Chimichurri sauce:
1 cup each: curly parsley leaves, olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
6 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
Skewers:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch wide strips
1. For chimichurri sauce, put all ingredients into blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Put half of the sauce into a glass bowl or plastic food bag. Add chicken; turn to coat well. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Refrigerate the other half of the sauce.
3. Prepare charcoal grill or heat broiler. While grill heats, soak wooden skewers in water at least 20 minutes so they don’t burn.
4. Thread chicken onto skewers. Grill, basting occasionally with the sauce, until chicken is no longer pink and edges are slightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately with reserved sauce for dipping.
SAUTEED TILAPIA FILLETS WITH FRESH FRUIT SALSA
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: 8 appetizer servings
This beautiful tapas recipe is from Sami Signorino, chef/owner of Piatti in Chicago; she also serves it as an entree for 4. Set the cooked fish atop couscous or the cooked grain of choice, Signorino suggests.
Red pepper sauce:
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, see note
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt, pepper to taste
Fresh fruit salsa:
20 sweet cherries, pitted, halved
2 peaches, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
2 plums, pitted, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, cored, julienned
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup each: thinly sliced red onion, chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
Fish:
4 tilapia fillets, about 6 ounces each, halved
1/2 cup durum wheat or all-purpose flour
Salt, pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
Cooked couscous or grain of choice
Lemon or lime slices, cilantro sprigs for garnish
1. For the red pepper sauce, puree the roasted pepper in a blender or food processor. With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil and lime juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. For fresh fruit salsa, combine all ingredients in a non-aluminum bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat broiler. For the fish, lightly dredge fillets in flour seasoned with salt and pepper; shake off excess. Heat oil in large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet until hot but not smoking. Arrange fillets in pan in single layer, skin side down. Cook 1 1/2 minutes. Turn fillet over and slather with the red pepper sauce. Place pan 6 inches from broiler heat source; cook fish until it barely flakes, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place cooked couscous or grain on a serving plate. Using a slotted spatula, place fillets on top of couscous. Spoon fruit salsa around the edge. Garnish with lemon or lime slices and cilantro sprigs.
Note: To roast a red pepper, place it directly over the gas flame or on a broiler pan 4 inches from heat source. Roast, turning often, until the skin blackens and blisters on all sides, about 10 minutes. Wrap in foil and let stand 10 minutes. Use a paring knife to remove charred skin; cut out core and seeds.
PECAN PANCAKE WITH GRILLED SHRIMP AND CUCUMBER SALSA
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 5 appetizer servings
Daniel Castro contributed this recipe from Santa Fe Tapas in Chicago. Don’t be alarmed at the lengthy ingredient list; the red pepper sauce and the salsa can be made several hours in advance.
Grilled shrimp:
20 large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1/4 cup each: olive oil, minced cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon each: minced jalapeno, oregano
1/4 teaspoon each: salt, white pepper
Roasted red pepper sauce:
1 small red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, see note
1 cup fish stock or clam juice
1/2 teaspoon each: minced garlic, paprika
1/8 teaspoon each: salt, ground cumin, oregano, white pepper
1/4 cup whipping cream
Cucumber salsa:
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely diced
1 plum tomato, finely diced
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon each: minced cilantro, sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon each: minced garlic, minced jalapeno, salt
1/8 teaspoon each: ground cumin, white pepper
Pecan pancakes:
6 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 medium red potato, peeled, grated (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon each: cornstarch, baking powder
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Pinch each: salt, white pepper
Oil for frying pancakes
Cilantro sprigs for garnish
1. For shrimp, mix all ingredients in medium glass bowl. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour.
2. For roasted red pepper sauce, put all ingredients, except cream, into a small non-aluminum saucepan; simmer 20 minutes. Add cream and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Keep warm.
3. For cucumber salsa, mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. For pecan pancakes, mix milk, egg and melted butter in small bowl. Mix all remaining ingredients, except oil and cilantro sprigs, in medium bowl. Stir in milk mixture until smooth.
5. Heat a thin layer of oil in large non-stick skillet; pour one-fifth of the batter into skillet to make a 4-inch-diameter pancake. Fry until golden and crisp on both sides, about 3 minutes. Repeat to fry remaining pancakes. Keep warm.
6. While pancakes cook, heat broiler or charcoal grill. Arrange shrimp on broiler pan or grill rack, 6 inches from heat. Cook, turning once, until pink and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
7. To serve, put one pancake onto each serving plate. Top with cucumber salsa; arrange four shrimp on top. Drizzle with warm red pepper sauce and serve garnished with cilantro sprigs.
Note: To roast a red pepper, place it directly over the gas flame or on a broiler pan 4 inches from heat source. Roast, turning often, until the skin blackens and blisters on all sides, about 10 minutes. Wrap in foil and let stand 10 minutes. Use a paring knife to remove charred skin; cut out core and seeds.
