Dinner Party Ideas: Speedy Tapas

Sometimes choosing just one main meal from a menu of irresistible dishes can be quite torturous, which is why I am a fan of Tapas - a feast made up of a number of smaller dishes, which explore a range of flavours and textures that Spain has to offer.

As well as being the ideal feast to enjoy at a restaurant when having a catch up with friends, tapas can also be the perfect dinner party solution when entertaining at home!

 

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When made together, the following dishes will allow you to serve up a tapas feast within 90 minutes. To ensure that there is enough to go round, I choose to serve the dishes in bigger portions. You could, however, make a wider range of smaller dishes for a more realistic Spanish meal experience (although this is likely to extend the time required for preparation and cooking). You could also modify the ingredients I have listed to create dishes that better suit the preferences of you and your guests.

 

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Ingredients: (serves 6)

Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables

• 1 aubergine
• 1-2 onions, peeled
• 2 peppers (different colours), de-seeded
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled
• 1-2 Courgettes
• 1-2 tablespoons oil

 

Patatas Bravas

• 4 large potatoes
• 2-3 tablespoons oil
• 1 red onion
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 2 cartons chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 50g grated cheese

Paella

• 300g risotto / paella rice
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion
• 1 pepper
• 2 chicken breasts
• 200g chorizo sausage
• 150g king prawns
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 litres stock cube (2 stock cubes – I use vegetable)
• Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, sliced into 8 pieces

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Method

Although I have written separate methods for each of the dishes, so that you can make them on their own if desired, you will need to multi-task to make the feast within 90 minutes. For example, prepare ALL of the vegetables first, have the potatoes and Mediterranean vegetables roasting at the same time, and make the tomato sauce for the patatas bravas as the paella cooks.

For the Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables:

 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

2. Chop the vegetables into chunky pieces, ensuring that they are evenly-sized.

3. Place the vegetables on the baking tray and coat in the oil. Add seasoning, if desired.

4. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, shuffling the pieces every now and then to ensure that they cook evenly. Before removing from the oven, test that the chunks of sweet potato have softened.

5. Remove the vegetables from the oven and serve in a dish.

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For the Patatas Bravas:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

2. Peel and dice the potatoes, into even-sized pieces (1cm³). Place them on a baking tray and coat in 1-2 tablespoons oil.

3. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and softened. Make sure that you shuffle the pieces every now and then to ensure that they cook evenly.

4. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and crush the garlic.

5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan and fry the onion for 2 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

6. Add the chopped tomatoes and chilli powder to the saucepan and allow to simmer and cook down for 20 minutes until a thicker sauce is made.

7 When cooked, remove the potatoes from the oven and place them in a serving dish. Pour over the tomato sauce and mix it through carefully to ensure that all of the chunks are coated.

8. Finish the dish with grated cheese, and serve.

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For the Paella:

1. Finely chop the onion, and finely dice the pepper.

2. Chop the chicken into bite-sized chunks on a separate chopping board using a separate knife.

3. In a large frying pan, fry the chicken in the oil until sealed and white. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir through.

4. Gradually add the stock, stirring so that the rice cooks evenly and does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

5. When half of the stock has been added, add the chorizo so that its flavours can be incorporated into the dish, then add the paprika and turmeric.

6. When all of the stock has been absorbed, test the consistency of the rice. If the rice is not quite cooked, add a little extra water, and test again when it has been absorbed.

7. At the last stage of cooking, add the prawns and cook the paella for a further five minutes. Keep stirring so that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan (add a splash of extra water if necessary).

8. Serve the paella in a large dish. Arrange the lemon and sprinkle with the chopped parsley to finish.

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For extra nibbles to enjoy, serve these dishes with some warm crusty bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and juicy olives.

 

Enjoy your evening of feasting, don't forget the home-made sangria, and please let me know if you add any other dishes to the line-up!

 

Adios!