From Spain with Love

Today was an exciting day at school. Instead of meeting at 10:30 am in the BU kitchens as we normally do 4 days a week, we took a field trip to experience cooking in a real restaurant. We took a short walk through the streets of Brookline to Taberna de Haro,on the corner of Beacon and St. Mary Street. We were warmly met by Chef-owner Deborah Hansen who opened her kitchen to us for the morning. Since they only serve dinner, we had the place to ourselves. Deborah's restaurant concept is that of a classic Taberna straight from the streets of Madrid. Tabernas are casual eateries where traditional and very simple tapas are offered. As in Spain, dishes are served as soon as they are ready (so be prepared if something you ordered as an entree shows up right away) and are meant to be shared. The focus is not on Deborah's interpretation of traditional Spanish food, but it is on the careful execution of authentic Spanish tapas. She admits that she takes almost no creative license with her food; her goal is to serve you the closest version of a tortilla (similar to a frittata with potatoes) this side of the Atlantic. Her tapas are uncomplicated, consisting of very few ingredients, however they are the freshest, most authentic ingredients she can find. Everything is cooked in Spanish olive oil, and all the wines are from Spain. She has cultivated the entire 215 bottle wine list herself, and prides herself on bringing varietals from little known regions of Spain to her customers. She takes a two week pilgrimage to Spain every summer to keep abreast of the latest wine trends. She must be doing a good job because she has received Wine Spectator's award of excellence for the past 5 years in a row.

In her tiny kitchen we prepared a "pisto" which is similar to a ratatouille. The medley of eggplant, onions, tomatoes and peppers is sauteed simply in olive oil, salt and pepper until soft. Then little nests are formed in the vegetables with the back of a spoon into which organic eggs are cracked. The eggs start to set and finish cooking when they are stirred throughout the pisto. This is very traditional peasant fare that makes a small amount of protein go a long way.

We also cooked whole quail in olive oil with loads of sliced garlic and sherry vinegar. With only 4 ingredients and less than 10 minutes on the stove top, you would be surprised at the intense flavor.

We ate our lunch communally with a nice Rioja, listening to Deborah's stories of her 8 years spent in Spain working in and owning restaurants. I can not wait to come back to experience the Taberna on a busy night when it is full of noisy patrons sopping up garlic-oil with fresh bread, nibbling frogs legs and washing it all down with robust red wine and sherry, just as they do in Madrid. Compliments to Deborah for recreating a piece of her life in Spain here in the Boston area. 

 

Photo of Pisto courtesy of the Taberna de Haro website