Recipe: Tapas: A Mini-Feast - Mushrooms Simmered in Sherry, Grilled Honey-Caper Shrimp, Steamed Black Mussels with Carrots and Jamon Serrano in a Dijon-Sherry Cream Sauce

TAPAS: A MINI-FEAST

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PORTOBELLOS EN JEREZ
(MUSHROOMS SIMMERED IN SHERRY)
Makes 5 tapa servings

This dish sneaks up on you: the intensity of the mushrooms is suddenly matched and enhanced with a touch of sherry vinegar and sherry, plus olive oil and herbs. It's served hot with small slices of good toasted crusty bread. Do try this at home - it's also a great first course served up as a topper to chilled designer greens.

1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 green onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 large Portobello mushroom caps cut in 1-inch dice
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1 cup dry Spanish sherry
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oil on high in a saute pan. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

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GAMBAS CON ALCAPARRAS
(GRILLED HONEY-CAPER SHRIMP)
Chef Caruso says, "Grilling shrimp in this simple sweet-and-sour emulsion creates an exotic Mediterranean flavour combination that will have your friends asking for the recipe." Wait no longer, here it is!
Makes 4 tapa servings

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp pickling liquid from the jar of capers
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp dry sherry
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp sea salt
1 cups extra virgin olive oil
Capers for garnish
Lemon wedges for garnish

Put shrimp in a glass baking dish or bowl. In a food processor, puree all remaining ingredients except olive oil and garnishes to make the marinade.

While the mother is running, add olive oil in a slow steady stream. Toss shrimp with this marinade and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Grill over medium-hot coals for about 2 minutes per side. Serve 3 to 4 hot shrimp per person, dressing each plate with capers and lemon wedges.

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MEJILLONES CON JAMON
(STEAMED BLACK MUSSELS WITH CARROTS AND JAMON SERRANO IN A DIJON-SHERRY CREAM SAUCE)
Makes 6 tapa servings

This is another variation of the great Spanish tradition of mixing meats with seafood - mar y montano, or sea and mountain. It's rich and almost sinful, and makes a wonderful dinner party main dish as well as a dynamite starter.

1/2 cup julienned carrots
2 pounds fresh black mussels, debearded
1/4 cup chopped jamon Serrano
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup dry fino
1/2 cup heavy cream

Cut carrots into matchstick-sized pieces. Place all ingredients in a shallow pan on high heat and cover. Cook just until mussels open (discard any mussels that do not open). Stir well and serve with lots of crusty bread.

Note: The dish probably will not need salt, as the mussels and jamon tend to be salty enough.