Shrimp and seaweed tortillitas recipe
There are few tapas more synonymous with coastal Andalusia – a place with a deep love for frying seafood – than these paper-thin fritters studded with camarones de Cádiz (shrimp). In Sanlúcar they are a staple, and getting to know the spectrum of tortillitas here – from rich and chewy to cracker-thin – is a delicious pleasure.
Many believe these tortillitas originated in the nineteenth century in the city of San Fernando, just south of Cádiz, where the tiny shrimp proliferate in the marshes and saltponds along the shore. But the writer and gourmet Manolo Ruiz Torres suggests a much earlier birth – perhaps dating back as far as the sixteenth or seventeenth century – and a shared parentage with Italy.
This recipe is adapted from Fernándo Córdoba, the chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant El Faro, which has locations in both El Puerto and Cádiz. It remains home to the finest tortillitas I’ve tasted. Predictably, camarones de Cádiz are difficult to get your hands on outside of Spain, but dried shrimp from Asian shops are a fine substitute (grab some dried seaweed while you’re there).
And, of course, there’s nothing wrong with ordinary shrimp chopped into small cubes. They are delicious every which way.
Use less salt if you use seaweed.
Ingredients
For the tortillitas- 350 g plain flour
- 475 ml water
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley
- 175 g sliced spring onions, white and pale green parts only
- 40 g chopped kombu seaweed (optional)
- 350 g chopped raw shrimp or 230g whole dried baby shrimp
- 1 splash olive oil
- 6 lemon wedges
Details
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Recipe Type: Snack
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 15 mins
- Cooking Time: 10 mins
- Serves: 6
Step-by-step
- In a bowl, combine the flour with the water and stir. Add all the remaining ingredients except the olive oil and lemon.
- When they are all incorporated, the batter should be similar to the consistency of crêpe batter – just thin enough to pour.
- In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add about 1cm (½in) of oil. When the oil is very hot (test by dropping in a small spoonful of batter in the oil; it should sizzle), add the batter to the oil in 1-tablespoon portions, taking care not to crowd the pan.
- Fry in batches if necessary. Cook until golden brown and crispy at the edges (about 3 minutes), turning once halfway through.
- Remove the tortillitas from the pan with a slotted spoon, onto a plate lined with kitchen paper.
- Transfer to a small platter and serve hot with lemon wedges on the side.
Recipe extracted from Sherry: A Modern Guide to the Wine World's Best-Kept Secret, with Cocktails and Recipes by Talia Baiocchi. Photography by Ed Anderson. Published by Jacqui Small (£20).
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