Are you planning to host a party? It might be a waste of time to cook different dishes, plus it’s more likely that you won’t enjoy the party. So instead of preparing for a feast, you can take it lightly. After all, party attendees usually don’t overeat since they prefer to drink and socialise.
Even if your party is not Spanish-themed, you can still prepare tapas for your guests. If you’ve been to Spanish restaurants, you might already know what tapas are. On the other hand, if it’s your first time encountering the word, tapas are small positions of food usually served on the side of beer or sangria. However, tapas can also serve as appetisers or starters.
Although there are many different kinds of tapas, here are some of the easiest you can make at home!
1. Padron peppers
The name may be scary, but Padron peppers are not spicy. It’s made with tiny green peppers that are not hot in general. However, at least one of ten peppers may give you a shock. So if you tried this, prepare your tongue because you’re not sure what you’re going to get.
If you’re not sure about the taste, try to visit Spanish restaurants first before making it yourself. But since it’s just made out of green peppers with salt, pepper, and oil, you can skip the restaurant visit.
In preparing this dish, you need to heat some olive oil, then fry the green peppers until they obtain some blisters. After cooking, season it with some salt and pepper, and you’re done!
2. Fried calamari
Fried calamari, or calamares fritos, is one of the most popular tapas in Spain. It’s made primarily with squid that has breading. If you go to the supermarket or grocery stores, you can easily find frozen squid. Meanwhile, if you want to use fresh ones, look for a wet market or international shops.
If you’re planning to buy fresh ones, it’s best to ask the seller to clean the squid so that you won’t have to do it at home. Besides, if it’s your first time buying fresh squid, you might not know how to clean it.
So aside from the squid, you also need flour, paprika, salt, pepper, eggs, and oil (for deep frying). Optional ingredients are lemon, parley, and milk.
3. Patatas bravas
After peppers and squid, it’s time to serve the potatoes. Patatas bravas is one of the go-to tapas even in Spanish restaurants. It’s one of the dishes that are impossible to miss on the menu.
So aside from the deep-fried potatoes, you’ll also need to make two kinds of sauce— bravas and garlic mayo sauce.
You can easily buy ready-made bravas sauce from the grocery store, but you can also make your own. If you choose the latter, you need to saute garlic and onion in a pan with hot olive oil. Then, add some chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, salt, and sugar.
Once everything’s combined, you can turn off the heat, then wait for about ten minutes before serving it with the potatoes.
4. Churros
Don’t forget to add churros to the menu. Some say it’s the Spanish version of doughnuts, which are also consumed during breakfast or snacks. When you visit Spain, you can easily spot a churros stand because there are a lot of them.
Fortunately, even if you don’t visit Spain, you can try it at Spanish restaurants or coffee shops wherever you are. But if you’re planning to serve this to your party, you can try a lot of recipes to get the taste you like.
The basic ingredients in making churros are flour, baking powder, water, oil, salt, and sugar. You can also add a dash of cinnamon or honey for flavouring.
5. Croquettes
Have you ever tried croquettes before? Croquettes have many variations, but these must-try tapas are made with bechamel. But aside from the plain bechamel, you can also add Jamon, manchego cheese, or chorizo.
Once you have the bechamel, you should put it in the fridge for at least five hours. Make sure to mix in your additional fillings before it solidifies. Then, prepare some flour and breadcrumbs, and beats some eggs.
When you’re done with the breading, you can deep fry the croquettes to 355 °F oil. Let it cool for a while before serving.
6. Charcuterie board
Whether you’re having a wine night or just a simple get-together, preparing a cheese board or charcuterie board is always a great idea. This may not be considered a single tapas, but it’s a combination of different tapas. Aside from the variety of flavours, it adds colour to your entire spread.
When preparing a charcuterie or cheese board, you must include cold cuts, fruits, crackers, and cheese. However, since it’s your board, and you’re the host of the party, you can add as many or as few as you like.
Now that you have some easy-to-make tapas ideas, you can start preparing the menu for your party. Let us know how your party went by leaving a comment below!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Aliana Baraquio is a web content writer who also loves cooking dishes from different countries. If you want to experience a Barcelona-style restaurant that serves high-quality food, and a modern, contemporary, fresh feel from the south of Europe, visit TAST Catala Spanish Restaurant.