James Beard Award winning chef José Andrés stopped by The Tonight Show April 18 to promote his New York City debut, Mercado Little Spain at Hudson Yards—and school host Jimmy Fallon in the art of "the most important dish in Spanish cooking," Tortilla Española. Naturally, the cooking lesson included a lot of laughter.
After reminiscing about their recent trip to Puerto Rico—Andrés joined Fallon on the island for an episode in January—the restauranteur had Jimmy crack a few eggs. They then, rather quickly, went through the recipe: potatoes, onions, olive oil, and possibly potato chips (unsure if these were an actual ingredient or just for snacking).
About halfway through food prep, Andrés allowed a booze break. He pulled out two red wine and beer-filled porróns—a pitcher that Fallon understandably mistook for a bong—and taught the host how to drink straight from the glassware. According to Andrés, it's a common method in Spain when "you don't make enough money to buy glasses for your home." Seems pretty efficient, too.
Though Fallon spilled, like, all over himself, you gotta give the guy an A for effort. And while drinking and cooking aren't always a winning combo, the pair still managed to prepare a pretty delicious—albeit messy—looking Spanish omelette. I mean, Andrés is a legend in the kitchen.
Mercado Little Spain, which is officially open, has been dubbed by many as a food hall. Although Fallon himself was reprimanded after calling it that on air. "It's not a food hall, man," Andrés yelled, before stabbing his knife into the counter. "It's not a food hall, it's a way of life." The market is in conjunction with the Adrià brothers and is "an all-day destination for the very best of Spanish food, drinks, and culture."
