Tía Pol

Tía Pol is a charming restaurant serving tapas inspired by the diverse cuisines of Spain. I had been looking forward to eating at Tía Pol for quite some time (I began to crave food from the Basque Country after watching Dhani Jones excel at jai alai then take down an impressive number of tapas during an episode of one of my favorite shows, Dhani Tackles The Globe), so I was extremely excited when my friend agreed to meet there for a late lunch this past weekend. We snagged a coveted spot at the bar and immediately spotted Oliver Platt ordering churros con chocolate two seats to our left- a sighting we took as a positive sign. Surely the brother of Adam Platt, highly respected restaurant critic for New York Magazine, only dines at establishments that have received Adam's seal of approval (I later read that Adam described Tía Pol as "possibly the best traditional Spanish restaurant in a town curiously devoid of such things.")? My friend and I shared several tapas, including the piquillos rellenos de ensaladilla rusa- sweet peppers filled with spanish potato salad topped with imported white tuna. This dish was so delicious that it inspired me to create my own version of a potato stuffed sweet pepper- which, unfortunately, was not nearly as memorable as Tía Pol's:

First, I charred the sweet pepper and wrapped it in a paper towel- a technique that makes it easier to remove the skin

Next, I cooked diced red bliss potatoes in cream with a bay leaf

While the potatoes were cooking, I sautéed diced sopressata with sweet onions, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes

Finally, I mixed the ingredients together, seasoned them, and stuffed the pepper