Top Tapas competition

There is a new food competition on base, and you probably know by now that my husband and I love foodie experiences, so we jumped at the chance to attend the Top Tapas competition earlier this week. MWR is going to host tapas competitions once per quarter, and this was the first event. This month, the competitors were hotels in Rota. Future competitions may be between ventas, or even the little churicha stands by the beaches. At each competition, participants will sample tapas from 4 similar competitors. Then there is a 3-course dinner, including free wine, sherry, and dessert. At the end of the evening, the winner is announced and awarded with a large trophy to display in their restaurant. The competition is held here on base, at La Plaza, but it is an excellent way to explore some of the opportunities that are available off-base. We had a wonderful evening, made some new friends, and of course got to eat plenty of delicious food-- all at a reasonable price! We were very impressed and will definitely attend the competition next quarter.

In case you are not familiar with 'tapas,' they are basically a Spanish appetizer. They are little bites, designed to accompany a glass of wine or sherry at a tapas bar, which is a casual--often tiny--restaurant where you nibble your tapas while standing at the bar. The ones displayed below are rather high-class tapas. Typically, they are served more casually, on napkins or toothpicks. The word 'tapas' means lid, or covering, and the belief is that tapas were originally pieces of bread placed on top of beer, to keep the flies away. Then they started putting food and seasoning on the pieces of bread, and now tapas have evolved into culinary works of art. I am sure you are all drooling and eager to hear about some of the tapas that were offered. I am here to indulge you! In fact, I even have a recipe for the one that was our favorite! So if you want to experience Spanish food vicariously through me... read on.

I will begin with our least favorite. These are fried chicken wraps, filled with ham and olives, in a mushroom sauce,  and accompanied by mashed potatoes. They were prepared by the chef from the Hotel Caribe, in Rota. It sounds and looks quite good, but honestly it was a disappointment. The seasoning was incredibly lacking and we all found the dish quite bland. The chicken looked like fried eggrolls, at first, but it was actually plain chicken pieces, pounded thin, and rolled up with the ham and olive. This gave it a strange rubbery texture, which combined with the lack of salt or flavor, made it a very mediocre dish. We all felt a little bit guilty, like the judges from 'Chopped' or some other cooking show, when we declared it, "tough, under-seasoned, and unpleasant."

The next up was the tapas prepared by the Hotel Playa de la Luz, one of the largest hotels on the Rota boardwalk. These are 'Tiny Shrimp Omelettes,' or fried shrimp cakes, with sides of lettuce and potato fries. It's not the cakes that are 'tiny,' it's the shrimp! The chef explained that they are not baby shrimp, they are actually fully grown shrimp, of a variety that only grows to be a few centimeters long. You can see the whole shrimp if you look closely. The flavor was good and very simple--just shrimp, onion, and parsley. Many tapas around here are fried and use seafood, so this felt very traditional Spanish, and had a good flavor. But, it was also a little too simple and forgettable to stand up to the competition.   

The next one really stood out. This little beauty was created by Club Elba in Costa Ballena (just north of Rota). I don't even know what to call it, because there was an amazing cacophony of flavors on this little plate! The photo doesn't even do it justice. On the bottom was a shrimp and avocado cake, topped with the crispy cracker, which was then topped with a light, savory squeeze of what tasted like creme fraiche, as well as lime zest and toasted celery grating. On the side, there were some bean sprouts that added a little texture, and 4 tiny dots of caramel and spiced mayonnaise. It was delicious and unique, and I commented to our table that I would eat a whole meal with those flavors. However, several people decided that all the flavors were a little too conflicting and confusing. It tasted like so many different things at once that some of the flavors competed with each other. Also, since the bottom layer was soft and the cracker stacked in the center was crispy, it was difficult to eat and became smashed when you attempted to eat it with a fork. Again, we felt like the judges on Iron Chef, who are offered a dish that is well presented and tasty, but still aren't sure what to make of it. 

I have saved the best for last. This 'Farmer's Bread with Iberian Ham and Salomorejo' was made by the Hotel Duque de Najera, at the boardwalk point near Rota's lighthouse. Iberian ham is the higher quality jamon, which is dried ham. Salomerejo is a traditional tomato-garlic sauce, which is made with the same ingredients as gazpacho, but a little thicker.  The bread was fresh and soft, and topped with a drizzle of olive oil. The distinct taste of Iberian ham paired wonderfully with the creamy, garlicky salomerejo. Every bite was delicious, flavorful, and full of all Spain's traditional cooking ingredients. Everyone at our table loved this dish and was impressed that one chef prepared all 100 plates on his own. We were rooting for him to win.

After a delicious dinner of salad, pot roast, and ice cream, it was announced that the winner was...

the fancy shrimp/avocado/cracker/creme fraiche/lime/caramel tapas from Club Elba in Costa Ballena! (pictured 2nd from right, just before the announcement was made).

We were a little disappointed that our first choice wasn't the winner, but we could certainly understand why his dish gained so many votes. It was very creative, very flavorful, and in some ways a cut above the rest. Not only did he win a huge trophy to display in his restaurant, but he will also be the one to design the 3-course dinner menu that will be served during the next tapas competition. His flavors were very light, citrus-y, sweet, and delectable, so I for one am sure I will enjoy that dinner. I look forward to the next round of Top Tapas!

And for your added enjoyment, here is the recipe for our favorite:
Farmer's Bread with Iberian Ham and Salomerejo. (makes 1 tapas serving)
2 slices fresh bread
50 grams (1.7 oz) tomatoes, probably 2 thick slices
5 grams (.1 oz) garlic, probably 1 clove
olive oil (20 grams or .7 ounces)
salt (pinch)
stale bread (25 grams or .88 oz)
Iberian ham (50 grams or 1.76 ounces), 2 thin slices

Toast the bread. Prepare the salomerejo by putting tomatoes, garlic, stale bread, and olive oil in a food processor until smooth. Spread the salomerejo on the bread. Place the Iberian ham on top, then sprinkle with salt and olive oil. Enjoy!