Crab and miso tortilla with trout roe — a Ravinder Bhogal recipe

When it comes to holidays, I’m not one to leave things to chance, especially when it concerns what to eat. I am a meticulous researcher, so when I arrived at my hotel in Barcelona for a short break with my husband, I was already armed with a robust dossier of internet intelligence.

The highlight was a dinner at Bar Cañete in El Raval. If you eat one meal in Barcelona, let it be here. It’s loud, hectic and packed with hungry locals and tourists.

Our concierge had managed to snag us counter seats — a prime spot from which to watch chefs cook with the athleticism and precision of a Premier League football team.

The feeding frenzy began with a couple of buttery salt cod fritters and lobster croquetas with a luscious béchamel centre and generous hunks of shellfish.

Next came sardines — a study in the primal compatibilities of salt, fish, lemon and oil. There were colossal garlic-and-chilli prawns too, which we tore into with our fingers, happily sucking their heads. Just before our main course arrived, we spotted a neighbouring diner’s dish — a tortilla abierta con setas, a sort of open omelette topped with mushrooms and a dense blanket of fresh black truffle. It was stupefying in its simple brilliance. We added it to our order immediately.

Inspired by the memory, this tortilla is an orgy of egg, fresh white crabmeat and the umami bomb of miso. It’s sloppy, salty and slides off the pan with ease before it’s topped with a generous spoonful of fish roe. You can use caviar if you’re feeling flush, but I picked up some delicate trout roe which sparkles like pink gems and imparts a briny flavour.

Crab and miso tortilla with trout roe

Serves 2

1. Heat a small saucepan over a high heat, add 50g of the butter and cook until it is foaming. Add the miso, lemon zest and chilli and stir until fragrant. Add the crabmeat, season with salt and stir through to gently warm for a minute or two. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and the chives, and set aside in a warm place while you quickly make the tortilla.

2. Lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the remaining butter and swirl to coat the pan, then add eggs.

3. Use a spatula to push the egg towards the centre of the pan, tilting the pan to allow the uncooked egg to run underneath until the egg is just set.

4. Take off the heat, top with crab and trout roe, slide on to a plate and serve.

Ravinder Bhogal is chef-patron of Jikoni. Follow Ravinder on Instagram @cookinboots and Twitter @cookinboots

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