Tomates Rellenos Tapas Food

TOMATES RELLENOS

Steps:

• Skin the tomatoes, first by cutting out the core with a sharp knife and making a '+' incision on the other end of the tomato. Then place in a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds, remove and plunge into a bowl of iced or very cold water (this latter step is to stop the tomatoes from cooking and going mushy).
• Slice the tops off the tomatoes, and just enough of their bases to remove the rounded ends so that they will sit squarely on the plate. Keep the tops if using small tomatoes, but discard those large tomatoes. Remove the seeds and insides, either with a teaspoon or small, sharp knife.
• Mash the eggs with the allioli -or the mayonnaise, if using- salt, pepper and parsley. Stuff the tomatoes, firmly pressing the filling down. With small tomatoes, replace the lids at a jaunty angle. If keeping to serve later, brush them with olive oil and black pepper to prevent them from drying out. Cover with plastic wrap and keep.
• For large tomatoes, the filling must be firm enough to be sliced. If you make your own mayonnaise, thicken it by using more egg yolks. If you use shop-bought mayonnaise or allioli, add white breadcrumbs until the mixture reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes.
• Season. Fill the tomatoes, pressing down firmly until level. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then slice with a sharp carving knife into rings. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

TAPAS SALAD

Steps:

• Clean and cut the bell peppers into fourths, removing the seeds. Place peppers on a grill over high heat, skin side down, making sure not to put them too close together. Grill the peppers until skins are very charred, about 20-25 minutes, depending on your grill. Place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam for about 15 minutes. Then peel off skins and discard, and cut peppers into short thick strips.
• Place olives into a colander and let them drain. Spoon out 2 T capers into a small strainer; then rinse the capers and let them drain. Wash marjoram (or other herb of your choice), dry, and chop.
• Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, caper brine, minced garlic, salt, and pepper to make the dressing. Combine grilled pepper strips, olives, capers, tomatoes, cucumbers and dressing in a large bowl.
• This salad can be served right away or allowed to marinate for several hours at room temperature until you're ready to serve it.