Tapas Tonight?
Written By Kim A. Fuqua
Photography By Suzanne Farmer | Food Styling BY Lori K. gregory
Marinated Mixed Spanish Olives and Toasted Spanish Almonds
A common start to a meal of tapas,
tangy olives and salty almonds will get
the taste buds dancing.
tangy olives and salty almonds will get
the taste buds dancing.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Marinate Time: 30 minutes
Olives:
1 cup mixed Spanish olives, such as
Manzanilla, Arbequina, Gordal,
Coquillo, Obregon
Manzanilla, Arbequina, Gordal,
Coquillo, Obregon
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon orange zest
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs, such as
thyme, rosemary, and oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Almonds:
1 pound blanched (peeled) whole Marcona
Spanish almonds (or any almond variety)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
Olives: Mix all olive ingredients together and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up
to 6 hours.
Almonds: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in an ungreased baking pan. Bake 5
to 10 minutes or until almonds are light brown; stir once or twice to assure
even browning. Note that almonds
will continue to brown slightly after
removing from oven.
even browning. Note that almonds
will continue to brown slightly after
removing from oven.
Sprinkle almonds with olive oil and salt and mix together. Serve with Spanish
olives.
Arrange baked ham slices individually on a platter. Cut Membrillo into
bite-size, ¼-inch-thick rectangles and place one on top of each ham slice. Top each with a
shaving of cheese, and serve.
Ham Twist: You can use prosciutto or any other salt-cured, unsmoked ham in place of the
Serrano.
Wine Pairing: Manzanilla is a fresh, dry sherry wine known to be the quintessential
accompaniment to tapas. This wine will make a refreshing counterpoint to the
saltiness of the olives and the Serrano ham and is especially tasty with
Manchego cheese. Serve 2 to 3 ounces of chilled sherry in a sherry glass,
tequila glass, or champagne flute.
Baby-Back Ribs with
Pineapple-Brandy Glaze
These tender, tasty ribs are great as part of a tapas meal or as a main course
with a salad.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
2 racks baby-back ribs
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup pineapple juice
1 cup brandy
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon dry mustard
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Season ribs with salt and pepper and place in a
large roasting pan.
Mix remaining ingredients together and brush on ribs. Cover with foil and bake
for 3 hours, turning once after one hour, and uncovering after two hours. Turn
once again during last hour uncovered. Baste hourly with the glaze.
Optional: Finish on the grill for 5 to 10 minutes over medium-high heat, basting with glaze. Slice ribs and serve three per person.
Wine Pairing: The fruity highlights of a Tempranillo-Garnacha blend from the Navarra region
will pair well with the roasted pork.
Poached Pears and Fresh Strawberries with Strawberry Sorbet and Orange-Honey
Sauce
The pear and strawberry mixture and the orange-honey sauce can be prepared the
day before and refrigerated until ready to serve.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
2 cups orange juice
1 cup sugar
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 pears (any kind), peeled, cored, and
cut into bite-size chunks
cut into bite-size chunks
1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed
and quartered
and quartered
1 pint strawberry sorbet
Garnish:
1 bunch of fresh mint
1 orange, sliced thin
16 cinnamon sticks
Whisk together orange juice, sugar, honey, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan.
Bring liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Add pears and
bring back to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and poach until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
bring back to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and poach until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove pears from sauce and mix with strawberries. Retain sauce. Distribute
fruit equally into eight wine glasses. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of sorbet into
each wine glass, drizzle with remaining orange honey sauce, and
garnish each with a mint leaf, an orange slice, and two cinnamon sticks.
garnish each with a mint leaf, an orange slice, and two cinnamon sticks.
Wine Pairing: Cava is a champagne-like Spanish sparkling wine that pairs perfectly with light
desserts like this one.
Chilled Shrimp and Avocado Salad
This light dish creates a lovely presentation palette of green lettuce, yellow
avocado, and pink shrimp.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
½ large head of lettuce
(green leaf, red leaf, or romaine),
rinsed and dried
(green leaf, red leaf, or romaine),
rinsed and dried
½ pound raw jumbo shrimp or prawns,
peeled and deveined
peeled and deveined
2 avocados
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup sherry wine vinegar
2 tablespoons orange juice
dash of sugar
Place the large outer leaves of lettuce around the outside of a large platter.
Chop remaining lettuce and place in the center of the platter to create a bed
for the rest of the ingredients. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
Bring two cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add shrimp to boiling
water and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until pink. Drain shrimp and rinse under cold
water. Transfer to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
Cut avocados in half and remove pit. Cut into slices and arrange on the platter
around a bed of lettuce, reserving two slices for the dressing. Place chilled
shrimp in the center of
the platter on top of the lettuce.
the platter on top of the lettuce.
Make salad dressing by combining oil, sherry wine vinegar, orange juice,
reserved avocado, and dash of sugar in a food processor or blender and mixing
thoroughly. Pour dressing over entire platter and serve.
Pomegranate Twist: Top the salad with the seeds of two pomegranates before pouring the dressing on
for an extra splash of color and sweetness.
Wine Pairing: A crisp, citrusy Albariño will complement the lemony garlic sauce for the artichoke hearts. Nicknamed
Wine of the Sea,
this wine also pairs brilliantly with fresh seafood, making it a perfect match for the fresh shrimp salad.
this wine also pairs brilliantly with fresh seafood, making it a perfect match for the fresh shrimp salad.
Pan-Fried Artichoke Hearts with Lemon Aioli
The zesty lemon sauce really makes these hearts sing.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Lemon Aioli:
10 cloves garlic, center removed
1 teaspoon salt
dash of freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice
6 tablespoons water
4 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cups olive oil
Artichokes:
8 artichoke hearts, sliced into flat planks
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Lemon Aioli: Fill the bottom portion of a double-boiler pan halfway with water and simmer.
Puree garlic, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, water, egg yolks, and
Dijon mustard in a blender. Scrape contents of blender into the top of the
double boiler and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside, allowing mixture to cool to room temperature.
Pour oil into the garlic mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly.
Chill while cooking artichokes or up to 24 hours.
Artichokes: Season sliced artichoke hearts with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over
medium-high heat in a large pan. When oil begins to sizzle, add the artichoke
hearts. Pan-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning halfway. When the artichokes are
fried to a golden brown, remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Serve
warm with lemon aioli on the side.
Serrano Ham and
Manchego Cheese Bites
Manchego Cheese Bites
These sweet and salty bites of renowned Spanish salt-cured ham and sheep’s milk cheese are always a hit at parties. Look for the Serrano ham, Manchego
cheese, and Membrillo in gourmet grocery stores. Membrillo, also known as
quince paste, is a sweet jelly made from quince fruit.
In Spain, the combination of quince paste and Manchego cheese is a very popular snack, with some people considering it the national dish of Spain. If you cannot locate Membrillo, try
substituting pear jelly or apple butter.
In Spain, the combination of quince paste and Manchego cheese is a very popular snack, with some people considering it the national dish of Spain. If you cannot locate Membrillo, try
substituting pear jelly or apple butter.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
½ pound Serrano ham, thinly sliced
½ cup Membrillo
¼ pound aged Manchego cheese,
shaved into bite-size pieces
shaved into bite-size pieces
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange ham slices on a baking sheet lined with
parchment paper. Bake until ham is crisp and golden brown, about 15 to 20
minutes. Place ham slices on a paper towel to drain and cool.
