Revelaciones españolas

I can’t decide which is most surprising, that a great restaurant serving Spanish tapas can be found in Mill Creek, or that I’d never heard of Charmoula.   This is one part restaurant review, two parts recipe and a total revelation. 

Tablas Woodstone Taverna – Mill Creek

Mediterranean / Spanish influenced small plates.  This restaurant is a find in the underdeveloped culinary outskirts of Seattle.   Why would anyone drive all the way to Mill Creek for good food?  Some of us actually LIVE here so good food is moving North!  Hot and cold tapas, baskets of lovely fried things, flatbreads - you can’t go wrong here.  The only thing you’ll regret is not being able to order everything on the menu. 

Charmoula is totally new to me but so fabulous.  It’s an oil and herb sauce similar to vinaigrette but with the same meat-pairing properties as the Argentinean chimichurri.  Cumin is the first thing that hits you along with notes of cilantro and parsley.   I tried several recipes for this and your preference really depends on texture.   Use toasted cumin seeds if you like texture, or cumin powder if you like a smooth sauce.  I highly recommend a mini chopper for this recipe instead of the mortar and pestle. 

Charmoula

 

Ingredient Switch:

1 tablespoon cumin seeds = 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Since Charmoula pairs so well with everything from vegetables to duck and seafood, I found a close approximation to what Tablas served with it:

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

There are so many recipes for this dish.  They’re simple but can easily be overcooked so here’s what I did:

12 large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail on (frozen works well, just thaw prior to cooking)

12 slices thin-cut bacon

6 Bamboo Skewers soaked in water for at least 20 min.

Partially cook the bacon on low for about 5 - 8 min. turning frequently.  The bacon should still be pale and very pliable.  This is bacon that is still too raw to eat, but some of the fat has rendered off and it’s cooked about half way.  Drain on paper towels and cool completely.  Wrap each shrimp in one slice of bacon overlapping the slice at each turn so it stays in place.  Skewer the bacon wrapped shrimp 2 per skewer and refrigerate at least 30 min.  This cools the shrimp and bacon enough to help them cook evenly.

Heat your gas grill on high so the temperature is hot but turn it down to low before adding the shrimp.  Shrimp cook very fast so watch them closely.  Grill for 5-8 min turning once.  As soon as they turn pink, remove them from the grill.

Pair the bacon wrapped shrimp with the charmoula, grilled peppers, zucchini, and red onions and some hearty bread.