It should come as no surprise when we tell you that your April red wine, the 2011 Tempranillo, is the ideal wine to serve with Spanish food. After all, Spain is the motherland of the Tempranillo grape, and every day, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of Spaniards enjoy eating tapas (Spanish appetizers or small bites of food) while sipping native wine. It should, therefore, come as no surprise to tell you that one of the best things you could eat when you uncork your Tempranillo is a tortilla.
No, not the kind that you stuff with beans and meat. A Spanish tortilla (tortilla española) can be described in its simplest form as a round egg and potato omelet – it’s much like an Italian frittata. Considered a type of tapa, the large dish is often cut into smaller squares or rectangles so it can be passed and shared. Me? I cut them into wedges and call them dinner. You could even cut it into squares and sandwich them between pieces of baguette…mmm. One of the best things about making tortillas is that they are delicious served at room temperature and even cold, so you can make them ahead of time and not worry about them sitting around for a while. While the most common tortilla is made with eggs, potatoes and onions, the ingredient possibilities are endless: sweet peppers, kale, cured meats, mushrooms, cheeses…anything you fancy. And, shockingly, it all tastes great with Tempranillo!
To start, slice up some peeled potatoes and slice an onion. Heat up some olive oil – a lot of it – in a large skillet and cook potatoes and onions until the potatoes are soft. Remove vegetables from the pan and pour out the oil in a cup. Add a bunch of beaten eggs to the veggies and stir gently. If you’d like, here’s where you can add some cubed Spanish chorizo, cooked greens, sautéed mushrooms or peppers, etc. Take a few tablespoons of the oil and put it back into the pan over medium heat. Add the egg-potato mixture to the pan and stir/cook until the bottom is set. If you’re adventurous, here’s where you can shine: flip the omelet over to cook the other side. (I cheat and invert the tortilla onto a plate first and then slide it back into the pan, uncooked side down). Or, you can take the easy way and put the whole pan into a hot oven until it cooks through completely. Remove from oven, let rest, slice up and enjoy. Seriously though, here is a link to a fantastic recipe with much more detail than mine: Spanish Tortilla. It should look something like this:
And don’t forget the Tempranillo.
Order our 2011 Tempranillo here
Taste Ponte’s Tempranillo through the years with our Tasting Flight. Order here.
–What’s your favorite meatless dinner?
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