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  3. Mastering My Mistakes: How to Make the Best Tapas Menu

Mastering My Mistakes: How to Make the Best Tapas Menu

By Food & Wine
Updated June 16, 2016
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How to Make the Best Tapas Menu: Use A Strainer to Chop Eggs
Credit: © Nicole Franzen
Inspired by her new cookbook, Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen, F&W editor in chief Dana Cowin makes three terrific recipes with guidance from a chef. Her tutor this month: José Andrés, the Spanish-born chef-owner of ThinkFoodGroup, with restaurants all over the world.
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The Menu

Mastering My Mistakes: How to Make the Best Tapas Menu
Credit: © Nicole Franzen

Mushroom Tortilla

Cold Tomato Soup With Ham and Hard-Boiled Eggs

Garlic Shrimp

  • How to Make Lamb Chops

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Tip #1: Don't Be Timid!

How to Make the Best Tapas Menu: Don't Be Timid
Credit: © Nicole Franzen

To get his mushroom tortilla out of the pan, José uses a quick, confident twist of the wrist. If you’re timid, as I was, you’ll end up with smooshed eggs that slide slowly to the side.

  • How to Make Lamb Chops

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Tip #2: Sauté the Onions

How to Make the Best Tapas Menu: Sauté the Onions
Credit: © Nicole Franzen

When making the tortilla, the first move is to sauté the onions, then the mushrooms. My instinct was not to crowd the pan, but José fills every bit of surface area so nothing burns.

  • How to Make A Tortilla

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Tip #3: Stir the Eggs Hard

How to Make the Best Tapas Menu: Stir the Eggs
Credit: © Nicole Franzen

José beats the eggs into submission, until they are shiny and creamy. Then, when they’re in the pan, he corrals them to the middle, stirring hard. I now understand that my passive approach was a fail in progress.

  • Egg Recipes

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Tip #4: Use a Plate to Get the Tortilla Out of the Pan

How to Make the Best Tapas Menu: Use A Plate
Credit: © Nicole Franzen

I’ve never been able to get a tortilla out of the pan intact—I even tried using a fish spatula once. That’s why José’s trick is genius: He places a plate on top, then flips the skillet.

  • Spanish recipes

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Tip #5: Put Ice Cubes in the Blender

How to Make the Best Tapas Menu: Put Ice Cubes in the Blender
Credit: © Nicole Franzen

Blender blades can heat up the soup if they’re working really hard, so José throws in a few ice cubes to keep the temperature cool.

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Tip #6: Use a Strainer to Chop Eggs

How to Make the Best Tapas Menu: Use A Strainer to Chop Eggs
Credit: © Nicole Franzen

This tip would make F&W’s Mad Genius jealous. In order to chop hard-boiled eggs for topping the tomato soup, José pushes the whites, then the yolks, through a small strainer.

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    1 of 7 The Menu
    2 of 7 Tip #1: Don't Be Timid!
    3 of 7 Tip #2: Sauté the Onions
    4 of 7 Tip #3: Stir the Eggs Hard
    5 of 7 Tip #4: Use a Plate to Get the Tortilla Out of the Pan
    6 of 7 Tip #5: Put Ice Cubes in the Blender
    7 of 7 Tip #6: Use a Strainer to Chop Eggs

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