Seville Service: operation tapas

Seville in February. The sun beat down on quaint squares, summer picked out by guitar chords and twists of flamenco dancers wrists. We could eat outside and three course menu del dias were passed in favour of tapas. It’s been a long time since I read a lonnnnngggg menu, I’ve gotten so used three options on a blackboard. My three British comrades and I put away a lot. In fact I was so swept away with tapas excitement I majorly failed on the photographic front, but I shall light upon a few of the stars, to try and tickle your taste buds.

Batter. An advanced nuance of the fry. One I have yet to try at home and jeepers we had some battered beauties here. Kicking off with tortillas de camarones. Tiny crunchy pink shrimp (camarones with shells still intact), spring onions, a mix of chickpea and wheat flour and fresh parsley. A kind of shrimp fritter/rosti/cookie. Light, sweet and salty. A typical plate from Cadiz, an Anduluz delight. There was something thai like to it, delicate. Put them with some cold beer and you'll have happy faces all round.

From light and crispy to a decadent, pillowly delights of berenjena frita con miel de caña (battered aubergine with treacle on top). It’s as ridiculously tasty as it sounds, hunks of gooey berejena with flecked with salt, kept moist in a crispy batter varnished with thin sweet treacle. So good they practically vanished from the plate, tensions arose as to the equal division of our racion. Always a good sign.

I’d also like to appoint merit-marks to porky delights that didn’t go unnoticed. Chicharrones, pork crackling made from the neck of the pig, crispy yet meaty. They are spiced with paprika, bay leaves, salt and black pepper. We picked up some on an early morning stroll to the market and enjoyed with a glass of cold beer at 11am. I love being an adult!

My second porkmendation goes to pringá. Slow cooked stewed meat, mixed with bread to form a pate like consistency which can we swept onto more bread with a slice of lomo on top. Packed with flavour, creamy and delicious, though I don’t have a photo as I was one bottle down by that point. It was a holiday! My heartiest thanks to Anusia, Kate and Lucy for being the best dining companions. You did good kids!

Fork notes:

- If you're in Seville and want to eat where we did, here is a link to the bodega via a good website for tapas in Seville. Win Win.