Patatas bravas are popular at Spanish tapas bars

You've probably heard the old joke about the guy who thinks he's been invited to go to a topless bar, only to discover to his dismay upon arrival that he is at a tapas bar.

Never having been to a topless establishment, I cannot relate to his disappointment, but I can tell you this: If I were expecting a tapas bar and ended up at a topless one instead, I too would be extremely unhappy.

That's because on a recent trip to Spain I became hooked on the native custom of small plates or tidbits eaten with drinks to sharpen the appetite before the main meal, the very essence of tapas as defined by Alicia Rios in her philosophical essay "El arte del tapeo."

My infatuation with tapas began appropriately, at what, according to legend, is their birthplace -- El Rinconcillo, one of the oldest tapas bars in Seville, the capital of Andalusia. Founded in 1670, it does not appear to have changed much since. With its dark wooden counters, shelves lined with bottles (most of them dusty), stone floors, wood-beamed ceiling, and Spanish tiles, it is the perfect place to discover tapas and, for that matter, why they have been called a window into the Spanish soul.

Like most tapas bars, at El Rinconcillo there is no place to sit. Rather, eating standing up has been refined into an art. There is an adjacent dining room, but that's for meals. Tapas are more relaxed and informal and because people are not concentrating on an entire meal. The whole scene encourages conversation and camaraderie. Even your tally is kept informally -- written in chalk right on the bar's worn wooden counter.

Roasted pork with fried potatoes, as served here at an outdoor cafe in Seville, is popular throughout Spain.

El Rinconcillo may be among the oldest, and most atmospheric, tapas bars in Seville, but it is hardly alone. There are 4,000 similar establishments throughout the city and part of the fun is wandering from one to another, sampling their wares, an expedition called a tapeo.

Though El Rinconcillo may claim to have invented tapas, it's not clear just how and why they were created, but one popular theory is that they originally were nothing more than slices of bread or cheese which bar patrons used to cover their wineglasses to keep out Spanish fruit flies. That explanation makes sense, for the word "tapas," in fact, derives from the Spanish word "tapar," which means to cover.

Patatas Bravas

What chicken wings are to an American sports bar, patatas bravas are to a Spanish tapas bar. Recipes vary, but it would be hard to find a more authentic version than this adaptation of one from chef José Andrés, who as much as anyone has popularized small plate dining in this country.

2 cups tomato purée

Tapas-sized skewers of stuffed Spanish olives await their destiny at the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid.

5 cups plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons sugar

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Ensaladilla Rusa or Russian Salad, like this one photographed in Cordoba, is featured in many tapas bars.

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

2 pounds Idaho potatoes

1 bunch chives

1 egg

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Warm 3 tablespoons oil over low heat. Add tomato purée, sugar, bay leaf, paprika and cayenne pepper, raise heat to medium and cook until sauce reduces by 2/3. Off heat add vinegar and salt to taste. Place egg, 2 tablespoons of oil, the garlic clove and lemon juice in a bowl and mix at high speed with a hand mixer until garlic is fully puréed into a paste. Dribble 14 tablespoons oil into mixture continuing to beat until thick and creamy, adding a teaspoon of water if necessary to thin sauce a bit. Peel and cut potatoes into one-inch cubes and poach in remaining 4 cups of the oil at 250 degrees until soft. Drain on paper towels. Raise temperature of oil to 350 degrees and fry potatoes again until crispy and brown. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Drizzle the tomato sauce on each plate, top with potatoes and add a dollop of the garlic sauce. Chop chives and sprinkle over top.

Tom Harte's book, "Stirring Words," is available at local bookstores. A Harte Appetite airs Fridays 8:49 a.m. on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Contact Tom at semissourian.com or at the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699.