If there’s ever an excuse to crowd round a table, tapas is it.
Thursday 19 June marks World Tapas Day – an annual reminder that life is better shared over small plates, a cold glass of something crisp and conversation that lasts long into the night. Nobody understands this better than José Pizarro, the chef so synonymous with Spanish cooking on these shores that he’s rightly earned the title of the UK’s Godfather of tapas.
His Bermondsey Street tapas bar is a masterclass in the art of unfussy, joyful eating: warm rooms buzzing with chatter, wine flowing and plates arriving in quick succession – each one a reason to lean in for just one more bite. At home, Pizarro’s food is just as inviting. Here, he shares three of his foolproof favourites to recreate the spirit of his tapas bars wherever you are.
Start with his tortilla de patatas: a classic Spanish omelette, rich with soft onion and tender potatoes, just set on the outside but still temptingly oozy within – the true sign of a tortilla done properly. There’s no rush: let it rest, slice it thick and serve at room temperature with a glass of sherry.
Or try huevos rellenos, Spain’s answer to devilled eggs. Hard-boiled, filled with a creamy hit of homemade alioli and smoky pimentón, then crowned with a salty anchovy for an instant savoury kick. Pizarro calls these the ultimate snack with a glass of chilled fino – we agree.
Finally, no tapas spread is complete without croquetas: crispy, golden, dangerously moreish. His version is packed with silky béchamel, nutty manchego and savoury jamón Ibérico – the kind you’ll burn your fingertips for because waiting is simply not an option.
Simple, generous and designed to be eaten with your fingers, this is tapas as it should be. A celebration of good ingredients, good company and the good sense to always make enough for seconds.
Tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette)
No tapas spread is complete without a tortilla – arguably Spain’s most beloved staple. Humble in ingredients yet deeply comforting, it captures everything good about Spanish home cooking: patience, simplicity and respect for the basics. On Bermondsey Street, Pizarro’s version is soft in the centre, rich with sweet onion and served thickly sliced alongside a glass of chilled sherry. It’s the kind of dish you make once and then wonder how you ever hosted without it.
Ingredients:
300ml olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, finely sliced
2 thyme sprigs
500g semi-waxy potatoes, thinly sliced using a mandoline
6 free-range eggs
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method:
1. Heat the olive oil in a deep non-stick pan, ensuring it is no more than a third full, over a medium heat. Add the sliced onions along with the thyme sprigs, and fry gently for 15-20 mins until golden.
2. Tip in the potatoes and cook gently for 10 mins until tender but not falling apart. Drain well (reserve the oil to make your next tortilla – keep chilled).
3. Beat the eggs in a bowl and season well, then add the hot cooked onions and potatoes, and mix well to coat.
4. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a 20cm cast iron or non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Pour in the tortilla mixture and swirl until the outside starts to set. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 4-5 mins until starting to set – the bottom and sides should be golden and the centre loose.
5. Put a board wider than the pan over the top and invert the tortilla onto it. Carefully slide the tortilla back into the pan and set over a low heat.
6. Use a spatula to tuck in the edges of the tortilla and give it a curved look. Cook for another 2-3 mins (the centre should still be a bit runny), then turn out onto a board and leave to stand for 5 mins before serving.
Huevos rellenos (Spanish-style devilled eggs)
These devilled eggs are Pizarro’s playful nod to the little bites you’d find in any Spanish tapas bar – an easy, fuss-free snack designed to tide you over while you linger over a glass of fino. Topped with briny anchovies and spiked with smoky pimentón, they pack a surprising punch for such an unassuming mouthful. Perfect for passing round at parties or setting out on the counter while everyone gathers in the kitchen.
Ingredients:
4 large free-range eggs
2 tbsp alioli (recipe below)
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
Small pinch of pimentón
8 large anchovies
For the alioli:
1 free range egg yolk
½ garlic clove, grated
White pepper to taste
½ tsp cider vinegar
100ml olive oil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice to taste
Method:
1. Put the eggs into a pan of cold water and bring to boil then boil for 6 minutes. Drain cool under cold running water.
2. Make the alioli. Put the egg yolk in a bowl with some sea salt and freshly ground white pepper . Whisk in the garlic and cider vinegar.
3. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until you have a smooth thick emulsion, then whisk in the extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 tbsp of just boiled water. Add lemon juice to taste and set aside.
4. Peel the eggs and half them lengthways. Scoop the yolks out into a bowl and mash well then add 2 tbsp of the alioli and a pinch of pimentón. Mix well then spoon this mixture back into the egg white halves and arrange on a plate. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a dust of pimentón and top with the anchovies.
Classic croquetas
Croquetas are a cornerstone of tapas culture – golden, crisp on the outside, impossibly creamy within. They’re one of those plates that disappear from the table in seconds (always make more than you think you’ll need). Pizarro’s version, folded with jamón Ibérico and manchego, is a true crowd-pleaser: just the right balance of salty, nutty and melt-in-the-mouth richness. If ever there was a reason to stand around the stove chatting while you fry, this is it.
Ingredients:
450ml whole milk
150ml fresh chicken stock
100g unsalted butter
125g plain flour, plus 2tbsp extra
100g Jamón Ibérico
75g manchego cheese, grated
2 free-range eggs, beaten
150g panko breadcrumbs
1 litre light olive or vegetable oil to fry
Method:
1. Heat the milk and stock together gently. Melt the butter in a pan and add the 125g flour and cook for 2-3 minutes.
2. Gradually add the milk and stock, stirring, until you have a smooth very thick sauce. Season well and stir through the Jamón and grated cheese.
3. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with cling film and chill until cold.
4. Take spoonfuls of the mix and roll into balls about 30g each. Put the 2 tbsp of flour in a dish and the beaten egg and breadcrumbs in two more.
5. Coat each of the balls in flour then beaten egg and then breadcrumbs, place on a baking sheet, and when they are all done freeze for an hour.
6. When ready to cook, heat the oil to 180c. Drop a few of the croquetas into the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes until deep golden brown and hot to the center. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen towel whilst you fry the rest. Serve straight away.
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