José Andrés

A leader of the latest culinary revolution, Chef José Andrés is bringing tapas to every plate.

Specialty: Spanish cuisine

José Andrés is credited with single-handedly bringing Spanish cuisine and tapas-style dishes to the forefront of American palates. Born in Spain, the chef trained under Ferran Adrià at the world-renowned El Bulli, near Barcelona, before coming to the United States.

Since settling in the Washington, D.C., area, Andrés has created numerous restaurants, including Jaleo, which specializes in tapas and small plates. Although the plates may be petite, their flavor packs a punch, earning Jaleo and Andrés a reputation as "the leader of the local tapas pack" from the Washington Post.

Thanks to THINKfoodGROUP, the creative group he’s founded, Chef Andrés continues to ignite passion within the restaurant scene and push the boundaries of Spanish cuisine in America, whether at Jaleo or establishments like minibar by josé andrés.

A sort of culinary exhibition, minibar by josé andrés serves a mere six diners at a time, but lavishes them with more than 30 courses in a sitting. Hailed as "a shrine to avant garde cooking" by the New York Times, the tiny restaurant is considered one of the best in the nation’s capital region.

With this type of acclaim, it’s no surprise that Andrés was named 2003’s Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic Region by the James Beard Foundation, as well as Chef of the Year 2004 by Bon Appétit. A year later, Andrés published his first cookbook, an ode to Spanish cooking and the art of tapas, Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America.

In January 2008 came the debut of Made in Spain, a television series hosted by Andrés. The 26-episode series follows Andrés as he enthusiastically crisscrosses the globe, starting each episode in his home kitchen in Washington, D.C., preparing authentic Spanish dishes, and later moving to the regions in Spain from which the recipes originated. A companion cookbook, MADE IN SPAIN: Spanish Dishes for the American Kitchen was released in November 2008.

Fun fact: Chef Andrés has competed on Iron Chef America, winning Battle Goat against Bobby Flay in April 2007.

Recipes:

Croquetas de Pollo
Gazpacho
Pollo al Chilindrón

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Gazpacho

This soup is a summertime staple in my house. I keep a big pitcher of it in my refrigerator so I’m always ready to pour a few cups on a hot day for friends and family. If you want to be original, try using ripe yellow and green tomatoes from your local farmers’ markets.

Serves: 6 Edit

Yields: up to 8

Oven Temp: 450

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 1  cucumber , peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1  green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 pound(s) ripe plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 clove(s) garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup(s) sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup(s) oloroso sherry
• 3/4 cup(s) spanish extra-virgin olive oil

For the garnish:

• 2 slice(s) rustic bread, 1-inch thick
• 1/4 cup(s) spanish extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2  cucumber, diced
• 1/2  green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2  red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• Sea salt to taste

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Directions

1. To Make Soup:
   Combine the cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, sherry, olive oil and 2 cups of water in a food processor or blender. Puree the ingredients until everything is well blended into a thick pink liquid. Pour the gazpacho through a medium-hole strainer into a pitcher. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
2. For Garnish:
   Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and toss in a mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Set the croutons aside to cool.
3. To Serve:
   Pour the chilled soup into cups or bowls. Top with croutons, cucumbers and peppers. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

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Pollo al Chilindron

Chilindron is a wonderful vegetable stew that comes from Aragon, where they grow astonishing vegetables in the fertile land near the Ebro River.

Serves: 4 Edit

Ingredients

1/4 cup(s) spanish extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoon(s) spanish extra-virgin olive oil 4  chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks separated Salt to taste 4 cup(s) diced spanish onions 1 cup(s) diced green bell peppers 1 cup(s) diced red bell peppers 2 tablespoon(s) minced garlic 1 cup(s) dry white wine 1 cup(s) thinly sliced and diced jamon serrona 1/2 teaspoon(s) sweet pimenton 2 cup(s) plain canned tomato sauce 1 sprig(s) fresh rosemary 1  bay leaf 2 cup(s) flat mineral or filtered water Directions Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 12-quart pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt then, working in batches, brown them on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a platter and set aside. Add the 1/4 cup of olive oil to the same pot, and when the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers. Reduce the heat to low and cook slowly until the vegetables are dark golden brown, about 30 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of water if the onions start to burn. Add the garlic and cook for 5 more minutes. Then add the white wine and cook until it evaporates, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the jamón and browned chicken pieces, as well as any juices that have collected, and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in the pimentón, tomato sauce, rosemary, bay leaf and the water and simmer over low heat for 1 hour or until the meat starts to fall off the bone. Season to taste with salt before serving.  ************************************************************************************** Croquetas de Pollo
Ingredients 1/4 pound(s) unsalted butter 1/2  spanish onion, peeled and finely chopped about 1/2 cup 2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour 4 cup(s) whole milk 10 ounce(s) chicken, boiled and shredded Salt 1 pinch(s) nutmeg 2 large eggs, beaten 1 cup(s) breadcrumbs 2 cup(s) spanish extra-virgin olive oil Directions Heat the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they become translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the flour and continue stirring vigorously. Cook for 5 minutes until the flour is cooked through and golden brown. Pour the milk into the flour mixture and cook, stirring continuously, for about 2 minutes, until you have a thick béchamel sauce. Add the chicken, and sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the nutmeg. Cook for another 2 minutes. You should now have a thick mixture that you can mold in your hands. Carefully pick up a bit of the mixture and try to ball it with your hands. It shouldn’t be too sticky. If it does stick to your hands, allow the mixture to cook a little longer. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet to cool. Take a spoon of the mixture and roll in your hands to make a small cylinder, about the size of a wine cork. Roll the cylinder in the remaining 1 cup flour, then in the eggs, and then in the breadcrumbs and set aside on another cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture until you have about 36 croquetas. In a small deep frying pan, heat the olive oil to 375 degrees (measured with a candy thermometer). Working in small batches, add the croquetas, making sure they are covered completely in oil. Fry until golden, about 1 minute, then transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to let drain. Be sure to allow the oil to return to 375 degrees F on the candy thermometer between batches. Season with salt and serve hot.
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Watch and Learn from the Best: José Andrés Takes Us to El Bulli Restaurant in Spain José Andrés Takes Us to La Boqueria Jose Andrés Takes Us to the Alcarria Region and the City of Toledo, Spain José Andrés Takes Us to the Penedés Region and Montserrat in Spain José Andrés Visits Castilla de La Mancha José Andrés Makes a Manchego Cheese Salad and Visits the Campo de Criptana Region in Spain José Andrés Makes Monkfish and Visits El Muelle Restaurant in Spain José Andrés Makes an Anchovy and Clementine Salad José Andrés Makes Chipirones con Cebolla Caramelizada José Andrés Makes Chicken Empanadas José Andrés Makes Peppers Stuffed with Cheese José Andrés Makes Seared Tuna José Andrés Makes Tortitas de Aceite