Tapas A Taste of Spain in America Hardback - 2005

This tapa is based on a fairly modern Basque-country dish, which has become very much a part of the mainstream. Basque people love their crabs, and txangurro has grown into something of a national dish in the region. For me, the most frustrating part of preparing this dish is that I rarely finish making it. Why? Because I love to eat the meat as I’m cleaning the crabs.

For the crabs:

• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 8 fresh blue crabs (see tips), preferably female (about 2 1/2 [2.5] pounds total, to yield 1/3 [one-third] pound of meat)

For the filling:

• 6 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 [.5] Spanish onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 [.5] leek, white part only, well washed and finely chopped
• 1 guindilla chili pepper (or your favorite dried chili pepper)
• 2 tablespoons Spanish brandy
• 1/4 [one-fourth] cup Txacoli (a Basque white wine) or other fresh, young white wine
• 6 fresh tarragon leaves
• Salt to taste

Cook the crabs: Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add the sea salt. When the water is boiling, drop in the crabs and cook for 8 minutes. Drain, and allow the crabs to cool. Then remove the claws and legs, taking care to keep the upper shell intact. Working over a bowl to collect the juices, remove the meat from the claws, legs, and body. Reserve the juices and the crabmeat. Carefully clean and set aside 4 of the empty shells.

Prepare the filling: Cut each tomato in half lengthwise. Place a grater over a bowl and grate the open side of the tomatoes into the bowl. Discard the skin. Strain the grated flesh through a sieve to produce 2 cups of tomato puree. Set it aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over a medium flame. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown a little, about 30 seconds. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the leeks and the guindilla, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.
Add the brandy and the wine, and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree and cook until it thickens and begins to darken in color, about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the crabmeat. Add the crab juices and the tarragon. Stir to combine, and add salt to taste.

To serve, place an empty crab shell on each plate. Fill the shells with the crabmeat mixture. Serve with a teaspoon on the side.

José's tips

If your time is limited you can buy crabs already cleaned and boiled. Just make sure that they have not been seasoned and are very fresh. If you can’t find Maryland blue crabs, you can always substitute Dungeness crabs from the West Coast.


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"Hero of the Spanish Revolution . . . José Andrés helped create the Spanish food boom in America." —Food & Wine

"José Andrés represents the broad spectrum of Spanish (and Hispanic) cooking . . . better than anybody else in America today." —Colman Andrews, Saveur

“The boy wonder of culinary Washington. . . a phenomenal success.” —R. W. Apple, Jr., New York Times

“José Andrés is Big Daddy for all things Spanish in America—and Tapas is the mother lode for anyone interested in ‘tiny bite’ cuisine or the exciting and the rapidly expanding Iberian influences that are changing the world of cooking. The future is Spain—and this book will prepare you for it.” —Anthony Bourdain

“José Andrés has done an admirable job of bringing the authentic taste of Spain—especially Spanish tapas and the tapas style of eating—to the American restaurant scene. Now he brings his knowledge and enthusiasm for the extraordinary cooking of his homeland to our homes with this handsome volume.” —Penelope Casas

“Small plates are the only way to fully experience a great chef’s style and flavors. Thank you, José, for sharing your creations with us.” —Jean-Georges Vongerichten

“I’m certain that for many this book will change their view of Spanish cooking. It goes without saying that José is already one of the world’s best chefs and has a bright future before him.” —Ferrán Adriá

Jos Andrs grew up in the Asturias region of northern Spain and was a protg of Ferran Adria of the renowned El Bulli restaurant near Barcelona. In 2003, Jos was named Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic by the James Beard Foundation and in 2004 was named Chef of the Year by Bon Apptit. Jos and his ThinkFoodGroup run seven destination restaurants in and around Washington, D.C., including the Spanish tapas bar Jaleo and the highly acclaimed minibar by Jos Andrs. His second cookbook, Made in Spain, was published in 2008. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and three daughters.

Richard Wolffe is Senior White House Correspondent for Newsweek magazine. In his spare time, he eats Jos's food and cowrites his food magazine stories. He lives close to Jos in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Paula, and their three children. His first book was The Victim's Fortune (HarperCollins, 2002); this is his first cookbook.