Spanish appetizer. Three fun and easy Spanish tapas recipes

Before the arrival of guests, any hostess thinks what can be served for an appetizer, before the main meal for a glass of wine? Tapas is the perfect solution! Probably, many people hear this word, but perhaps not everyone knows what it is.

On the one hand, the word "Tapas" is understood as a way of serving small pieces of baguette, vegetables, meat or seafood with a filling, and on the other hand, the same combination of filling and bread is called tapas.

The tradition of serving small cold snacks before meals, which include meat, vegetables, fish, and so on, came to us from Spain. Now these snacks are popular not only in Spain, but also in the countries of the Balkan Peninsula and in countries located on the Mediterranean coast.

Typically, tapas are served on small plates, but the variety of toppings can truly surprise any gourmet. Each national cuisine, undoubtedly, has its own traditions of table setting and combinations of various ingredients, but you can still highlight the basic principles of composing tapas fillings. For example, mushrooms are stuffed with meat, cheese and herbs. Seafood is usually served with pies or grilled or pickled vegetables. Well, and of course, such a snack is served with bread, which is baked in each country according to its own technology.

In the modern world, there is often a mixture of different cuisines from different countries, and this affects tapas too. Asian cuisine has recently become popular in Europe, so you can find elements of Japanese sushi in tapas.

Tapas in Spain

In Spain, tapas is considered to be more than a simple food, tapas is a part of Spanish culture. The word itself comes from the Spanish word "cover" or "cover". One of the opinions is that initially tapas consisted of cuts of meat, vegetables and bread, which was covered with a glass of wine so that insects did not get there. According to another version, the king of Castile and Leon, Alfonso X the Wise, introduced a law according to which it was impossible to serve alcoholic drinks without snacks in refectories and taverns, so that visitors would not drink on an empty stomach and behave appropriately.

In Spain, there is a whole tradition of how to eat tapas: it is customary to eat it standing up, with wine or sangria, in a large company and in casual conversation during a siesta. There is even a so-called "tapas marathon" - tapes: after 09 pm the Spaniards gather in companies and wander from bar to bar, in each of which they eat a few tapas, washed down with wine and make new, pleasant acquaintances.

In Spain, making tapas is a whole art. There are even special contests where the ability to prepare them, the variety of fillings and the way they are served are assessed. The main venue is the city of Valladoline.

Below we provide a list of tapas toppings that you can find in any small cafe in Spain, and of course, repeat yourself:

• serano ham
• olives and cheese (manchego)
• meatballs (albondigas)
• pickled or deep-fried anchovies
• chorizo ​​sausage
• salted cod (bakalau)
• fried squid rings (squid)
• crispy salted potatoes (papas arrugadas)
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• garlic sauce (alioli) with bread and potatoes
• omelette

Each country has its own preferences for what to make tapas.

In Portugal, tapas are even called in another way - "petiskos". They can include deep-fried fish, meatballs, octopus salad, olives and the national dish of Portugal - salted dried cod - "bacalau". It's hard to resist such a variety and not try.

In Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey, these snacks are called ouzo, raki or meze. They are prepared from vegetables, fish and seafood. Well, in every region, of course, you can find something typical or unusual. For example, the famous tzatziki - grape leaves stuffed with a mixture of rice, yogurt, cucumber and garlic. Or a seafood salad with baked vegetables and sheep's cheese.

Tapas in Italy

In Italy, tapas are referred to as antipasti. Here are the popular fillings in this country:

• Parma ham
• Mozzarella
• grilled bread with a slice of tomato and a couple of drops of olive oil (bruschetta)
• very thin slices of beef with parmesan, olive oil and balsamic sauce (carpaccio)
• grilled or deep-fried vegetables (eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini)
• veal with tuna sauce (vitello tonato)
• pickled sardines
• baked shellfish

In Italy, small snacks (called antipasti) are usually served in a transparent glass container. This way of serving dishes is very convenient, because guests can immediately see what is lying and where.

Despite. that the tradition of making tapas is different in each country, but in any case it is a very tasty, unusual and quick snack. You can turn on all your imagination, use all the ingredients in the refrigerator - and the result will be amazing anyway. You will be able to surprise and feed all the guests. By the way, tapas can be prepared as a meal for a buffet table, picnic, or taken to work.

Kitchens. In fact, this is an appetizer that is prepared from a wide variety of ingredients. Moreover, it is customary to call any food that is suitable for a small buffet table or friendly gatherings. So, we bring to your attention several options for cooking such a dish as tapas (recipes with photos in abundance can be found on the pages of electronic culinary magazines). By offering your friends such an original dish as an appetizer - cold or hot - you will certainly earn sincere praise and gratitude from others. Said Spanish tapas are made with different ingredients so that everyone can choose what they like!

Cooking tapas: option number 1

Required Ingredients:

• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 5-6 dry sherry;
• 0.5 kg of champignons;
• freshly squeezed lemon juice;
• 3 dessert spoons of pine nuts;
• 6-7 teaspoons of olive oil
• 4-5 sprigs of herbs (parsley, for example);
• pepper, spices and salt to taste.

Cooking process

Wash the mushrooms thoroughly and cut them into large pieces. Then we wash the greens and tear off the leaves from it. You also need to peel and chop the garlic finely. Fry the garlic in a preheated pan with olive oil for about 3 minutes. Then add nuts with chopped mushrooms to it and fill the mixture with sherry. You need to cook this dish until the liquid evaporates. Then add salt, spices, lemon juice and pepper to your liking. It is best to spread the appetizer on pre-fried toast, decorating with green leaves. This tapas is a great option.

Ingredients for the second tapas variation:

• 9-11 small dried chili peppers
• 500 grams of peanuts;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic;
• 2 dessert spoons of olive oil;
• a spoonful of salt.

Cooking process

Put the chili peppers in the mortar and crush them. Then peel the garlic and chop finely. It is best to use a garlic. Then put the crushed peppers in a pan, add garlic, fry in olive oil for about two minutes. After that, peanuts are added to the products and fried until golden brown. Then, after frying, this mixture is laid out on plates and sprinkled with salt. This tapas is a great option with beer.

Tapas is that easy! Recipe number 3

Required Ingredients:

• 250-300 grams of sheep cheese;
• 0.5 kilograms of ham;
• 3 hard-boiled eggs;
• 50-70 grams of walnuts.

Cooking process

Grate on a coarse grater, finely chop the nuts, and chop the boiled eggs. Then stir the resulting mixture. Then take the ham and cut into thin slices. Spread each piece with the resulting mixture. Roll up into a mini roll and pierce with a skewer. This tapas is a great option for any buffet table!

It should be noted that there are a lot of options for traditional Spanish snacks. You can use almost any food you will find in your refrigerator. Place a variety of snacks on each plate, add matching drinks and have a sunny country party. Because all Spanish cuisine, directly or indirectly related to appetizers, can be called tapas. And this name, in turn, symbolizes Spain.

For some reason, it is generally accepted that tapas and pintxos are appetizers. This is a traditional Spanish snack that can be bought in any bar or cafe as if it were nuts or chips. This is partly true - they can really be bought literally everywhere. Even where there is actually no kitchen, as such. That is, by going to any Spanish bar in Tmutarakan, the owners will always have something to offer to have a bite to eat. And it doesn't matter that you do not gorge on pickled olives or you already have sandwiches in your throat. This is pure Spanish cuisine from Spain and since you're here, bon appetit. But let me disagree with the fact that this is just an appetizer. 2-4 tapas or pintxos and that's it, the stomach stops beeping from hunger, saying that it is already full.

During those almost two weeks that we drove through Spain by car, it did not matter, whether it was Aragon, scorched by the sun, the proud Basque country or Madrid, rebuilt with the money of the colonies, that tapas and pintxos were the same. With its own, characteristic only of a certain place zest, but still very, very similar.

My photo selection of Spanish snacks is shown below, although it is impossible to convey all the Spanish tapas in the photo. The diversity is too great.

This is a quick and easy meal. Yes, a snack. But in our understanding, fried potatoes, for example, are a completely independent dish, and they have an appetizer. But it prepares quickly, which means it can be a snack. Tapas can be either a plate with olives, or chopped jamon, deep-fried bravo potatoes or fried chorizo ​​sausages, julienne in shells, or just a slice of bread with olive oil grated with tomatoes. Everything that has enough imagination and that can be found in the cold store will be tapas!

There is a legend according to which King Alfonso XIII, being in Cadiz, sat down in some tavern to drink a little ustatka. A strong wind rose and the owner of the tavern put a piece of ham on the king's glass, covering the wine from the sand that had risen from the wind. The king liked this appetizer and asked for more. It's a beautiful legend, but now no one serves drinks with tapas.

Tapas cost from 2 to 10 euros, depending on what you order. Olives and nuts will cost only 1 euro, and deep-fried calamari will cost 10. There is absolutely no need to look for a tapas bar in Spain, since tapas are everywhere.

The simplest Spanish snack is nuts and olives.
Sliced ​​raw smoked sausage. Anytime and anywhere.

Jamon itself is tapas. But it's expensive to eat just like that, so something with ham is often offered. For example, patatas brava, aka fried potatoes. On top there is a sliced ​​jamon and uevos, they are also eggs. It is spelled huevos but the first X is not readable in Spanish. Otherwise it sounds very plausible with her)

Ham and potatoes. They are jamon and patatas brava.

All kinds of jerky sausages are ubiquitous in tapas. Either they are planed as they are, or they are fried in oil.

Potatoes and sausages. Patatas bravo and chorizo ​​roho.
Octopus in Gali. Pulpo gaego.

Shrimp in Spain, like seafood in general, is loved. Even if they cost more than a grain pot, say not 4, but 10 euros, but the variety is much greater. The same shrimps are cooked in sauces and grilled. Grilled food always tastes better. Ask for a la plancha, not frito. Of course they will fry in a frying pan, but grilled it tastes better.

Shrimp is always a good snack. To all.
Shrimp is always a good snack.

My favorite tapas and personal drug are pimientos padrone or peppers. It is believed that every tenth pepper is very hot. I only got one in all the time. The Spaniards said that I am very happy. I do not argue)

My all-time favorite Spanish snack.

Where the sea is close and the fishing port works, you can always eat mussels or mihienes. It is very tasty, but always small. And it costs about 8 euros.

Mechienes or mussels.

Chipiron is also popular from seafood. These are small deep-fried squid.

Chipirones are small squids.

But you can take traditional rings of squid and squid chopped into rings. There are differences) but not fundamental)

Spanish omelet, also known as tortilla, is not only just an appetizer, but also an element of pintxos if you put it on bread.

Tortilla is a Spanish omelet with potatoes. Tapas too.

What is pintxos?

This is the same appetizer, only strung on a stick. Even a sandwich with a traditional toothpick would be considered a pintxos. Like the tapas on the bread above.

Pintxos cost about 4 euros, regardless of the filling. Well, plus or minus Eurek. Having eaten 4-6 pieces and drunk a couple of beers, one can assume that he did not have a bite, but that he ate a full meal. This is a kind of fast food.

Pinchos is very popular in the Basque Country and in the north. The greatest variety can be found in the old town in Bilbao. There, whole streets do nothing but cut and chop snacks on sticks. That is, the recipe for pintxos is simple - stick whatever your heart desires on a stick.

Assorted pintxos from Bermel.
A sandwich with a stick is already a pintxos!
These were with a sawn egg and shrimp.

The pinchos from the banks of the Douro River were cold, although in a julienne shell.

I liked this one, but a strange thing, it tasted and looked like eggplant, and the seller claimed that it was a kalabasin, that is, a pub.

Tapas and pintxos are of course boring after a two-week trip. And sometimes you want straight soup, or something hot. But in fact, in the heat, it is a very good food. And for the coming summer, you can take on a couple of recipes, I think)

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Tapas are all kinds of small snacks made from meat, fish, vegetables, bread and other foods in various combinations. A dish of Spanish cuisine, signature tapas are served in many drinking establishments.

Spicy tapas with traditional Spanish chorizo ​​sausages and dry-dried jamon are especially colorful on the palate. And in the home version in your kitchen, far from Spain, and due to sanctions and from a number of Spanish products, you can experiment with preparing original versions of popular tapas with spicy peanuts and Extremadura rolls.

I took a piece of raw bacon and fried it on the grill in the oven, or you can take ready-made bacon, jamon or ham, etc. Soft cheese is desirable sheep's, but simple curd or soft creamy will do.

Prepare the ingredients according to the list:

For the hot peanut filling, sweat chopped garlic and hot peppers in olive oil.
Season with coarse salt.

Add the peanuts and fry them all together so they don't burn!

Then grind this mass to the desired degree using a blender.
For example, so that one part of the peanuts turns into a paste, and the other part remains whole nuts.

For a nut and egg filling that echoes the filling of the Extremadura rolls, boil the eggs hard.

Peel and grate the cooled eggs. Combine with chopped walnuts and soft cheese. Stir and season with salt to taste.

Prepare the meat ingredient. If you took not ready-made, but raw bacon, then put it in slices on a baking sheet in one layer.

Bake in the oven on the "grill" mode until browned and cooked through. You can just fry in a pan, just on a baking sheet at once more fits.

Wrap the different types of fillings with meat slices, fix with skewers if necessary. Serve the remaining portions of toppings on slices of fresh or toasted bread.

The tapas are ready!

Bon appetit and interesting culinary experiments!

There are many dishes in Spanish cuisine that are widely known outside the country and have long been loved in Russia. Paella, jamon and crème catalana are served in many restaurants, and small tapas are also present at home celebrations. The last name is heard by many, but not everyone knows what it is. Learn what Spanish tapas are eaten with and how they are prepared.

What is tapas in Spain

On the menu of Spanish establishments, all kinds of snacks are categorized as tapas. This term means a dish that meets two main criteria: it is small and suitable for drinking. Basically, tapas is a tiny snack, something that you can eat in one bite without getting dirty. For wine or sangria, the waiter will bring several types of cheese skewered. Sausages, shrimps, octopuses and other delicacies are served with beer. Sherry is drunk with smoked meats.

Other popular snacks in Spanish restaurants:

• Pan con tomate - a slice of toasted white bread grated with garlic and garnished with a slice of tomato;
• Gambas al ajillo - shrimps baked in garlic sauce;
• Patatas bravas - coarsely chopped potatoes with spicy tomato sauce
• Boquerone fritos - anchovies fried in batter;
• Pimientos de Padron - Padron peppers fried in oil with salt.
• Pulpo a la gallega - Galician-style octopus with baked potatoes;
• Navajas - fried sea cuttings
• Caracoles - snails in cheese sauce;
• Tapa de jamon con aceitunas - a combination of olives and jamon;
• Jamon serrano or iberico - thin slices of dry-cured smoked ham.

History of the origin of the dish

Over the many years of the existence of the snack, the history of its origin has overgrown with thousands of myths, each of which has the right to exist:

• One of the legends says that tapas was first served in taverns at the beginning of the 13th century, when the throne belonged to King Alfonso X the Wise. The monarch was in poor health, and doctors prescribed him to drink a glass of red wine every hour to raise his strength. To prevent His Majesty from getting drunk from such treatment, he was served with a drink in small portions of food. Finding this method very prudent, the king ordered the serving of snacks in this way in all taverns.
• Another legend takes its roots from the name. Literally tapa is translated from Spanish as a cover. Once the king of Catalonia Fernando II went to Cadiz, and on the way made a stop at a tavern. The establishment was not rich, and the number of flies in it exceeded the number of guests. Then the monarch ordered the owner of the tavern to cover his glass with something with something. The owner obeyed, covering the glass with a slice of jamon and serving the drink to His Majesty with the words "Here is your tapa, my king."
• In Castile-La Mancha (province of Spain), there is a legend about a tavern owner who once unsuccessfully bought wine. To mask the taste of the bad drink, he offered his visitors a piece of free cheese.

Tapear - a tradition of visiting tapas bars

The Spaniards spend a lot of time in different bars, restaurants, taverns or small cozy cafes. They come there not so much for the delicious food, because you can have a snack at home, but for the sake of communication - this is a kind of tradition called Tapear. Many Spaniards start their mornings with a visit to the nearest bar to have a hearty breakfast and discuss the latest news from the area and the world with the bartender.

The traditional Spanish breakfast is multi-course. Among them are churros - sweet sticks made from choux pastry fried in batter. They are served with a cup of hot chocolate, in which you need to dip the treat before you put it in your mouth. Another favorite is the Espanyola tortilla, a delicious omelet with potatoes. Toastada with ham is very popular - white crunchy bread with a slice of smoked pork ham. Lunch and most of the day is spent light, but the Spaniards have dinner densely at nine or ten in the evening.

In the evenings on the streets of Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Seville and other cities, where there are many different cafes, there is excitement - these are people who went out to have a bite to eat and chat. It is customary to eat snacks while standing, so as not to linger in one place for a long time. All evening small groups of people wander from one institution to another. The beer tapas bar delights visitors with fried squid, in another restaurant the company will taste olives with octopus and ham, and then taste chorizo ​​sausages. Throughout the dinner, the Spaniards actively communicate with each other.

What are the Spanish snacks?

According to the principle of preparation, small Spanish tapas are of several types: hot or cold, simple or complex. Among the unpretentious are olives, various types of cheeses, slices of jamon, which is served with bread or on melon slices, as well as all kinds of mini-sandwiches with spicy sauces or ketchup. Snacks need to be prepared a little more intricate. It can be shrimp in bacon, squid in batter, tortilla or small paella.

Pinchos or pintxos can literally be translated as meat on skewers or kebabs. This is how this appetizer is offered in Spanish gastronomic pubs. Often, simple tapas are served as a free snack, but the bar visitor will have to pay for the pintxos. When calculating, the waiter will simply count the number of skewers on your plate and add the amount for the canapes to the total bill. At the same time, it will be much cheaper to try pintxos at the counter than to enjoy barbecue at the table or on the summer terrace. This is because the waiter doesn't have to go far.

They make meat kebabs from pork, less often from chicken. The special taste of the meat is given by the Moorish marinade, which consists of sweet or hot paprika, ground cumin and coriander. In bars, there are two types of such kebabs - spicy or ordinary. When ordering, the waiter will ask the visitor: "Con o sin" (with or without pepper). The meat is strung on toothpicks or special sticks and served on a clay plate called a cazuela.

Montaditos - small sandwiches with toppings

The name "montadito" or "montado" toasted bread has its roots in the distant past. At the turn of the 15-16th century, small loaves with different fillings gained popularity in Spanish establishments. On top of an appetizing hump, the chefs laid out small portions of meat, fish or vegetables, and covered it with another slice of bread on top. The name of these now popular sandwiches originated from the concept of "montar" (to put on top).

Conventionally, all montaditos are divided into cold and hot, depending on the method of serving and filling. Anchovies, cheese, jamon, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs are a classic part of a cold snack. Sausages with sweetish onion, calamari with ali-oli sauce, pieces of chicken or beef steak - these fillings are part of hot montadito.

Apart from the composition, Spanish sandwiches differ in the type of bread. You can order a snack made from white or rye bread, ask to put the filling inside the bun. The base for the sandwiches is baked in the same cafe where the appetizer is sold.

Spanish omelet with vegetables Tortilla

Tortilla is translated from Spanish as a small potato tortilla. This name of the dish was introduced into everyday life by the conquistadors when they first tasted the traditional breakfast of Mexican Indians. A little later, the dish entered traditional Spanish cuisine. Today there are two varieties of Tortilla - corn-based or potato-based. The standard food set for a classic tortilla consists of potatoes, eggs, olive oil, onions and spices. The dish is prepared in advance in a pan or oven and served cold.

Fried potatoes with aioli

Patatas Bravas literally translates as "angry" or "lively potato". The dish got this name due to the special sauce that is served with this type of tapas. The potatoes themselves are cut very coarsely for serving, seasoned with spices and fried in a pan. The traditional sauce for patatas bravas is spicy tomato sauce or, as the Mexicans call it, brava. The spice or briskness of a potato depends on the amount of pepper in that dressing.

Brava sauce with potatoes is not served in all provinces of Spain. Catalans prefer to dip patatas in aioli - olive mayonnaise with garlic and Provencal herbs. With it, the potatoes are not so spicy, but no less tasty. Patatas Bravas are served on separate flat plates, along with bowls of sauce. Sometimes, for the convenience of visitors, potato wedges are strung on skewers.

Russian salad Ensaladilla rusa

This tapas is an invention of Spanish chefs who are absolutely convinced that such a salad is a traditional Russian dish. Ensaladilla rusa is very popular among chefs for its simplicity and taste. The classic Russian-style salad consists of boiled eggs, tuna, olives, potatoes, dressed with homemade mayonnaise. Sometimes other ingredients are added to the branded base: bell pepper, boiled tongue, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, green peas. Ensaladilla rusa is served on chips, bread or in separate bowls.

Deep-fried Croquetas

For the first time croquettes (las croquetas) began to be prepared in France in the form of round or oval balls from béchamel sauce with the addition of various fillings. The fame of a simple but tasty dish quickly leaked to its Spanish neighbors and soon the appetizer was served in tapas bars. Unlike the French version, the Spaniards gave their croquetas a special flavor by adding seafood, jamon, cheese, and meat inside the balls. There are many recipes for this dish, the most original croquettes stuffed from:

• morsilla (blood sausage) with onions;
• fried pine nuts and apple paste;
• oxtail;
• pork or beef cheeks;
• cuttlefish baked in their own ink.

Cheese and cheese snacks

These tapas in Spain are called Queso and can be served in several varieties: as pintxos, croquettes or sandwiches. Almost every such mini-snack consists of goat cheese, which sunny Spain is rich in. In expensive restaurants, cheeses of noble varieties are strung on skewers - Bodega, Cabrales, Manchego. Soft cheeses - De La Serena, Tupi, Galicia - are spread on a slice of bread.

Chorizo ​​with paprika

Chorizo ​​- pork sausage with the addition of paprika, sometimes chili. This type of tapas is found in almost all Spanish bars. Sausage is served on skewers, in separate slices, small pork sausages can go as an appetizer to the whole foamy drink. It is customary to serve spicy dressings with chorizo ​​- spicy tomato sauce, mustard or barbecue.

Spanish dry-cured ham ham

The word jamon means a delicious dry-cured ham, which is cut into translucent slices. This dish is considered a gastronomic heritage by the Spaniards and is served as an appetizer in all tapas bars. Jamon is added to salads, placed on crispy bread slices, or served on a separate plate. There are two main types of jamon:

• jamon serrano - made from the leg of white pigs that have eaten mixed feed throughout their lives.
• jamon iberico - made from the meat of exclusively Iberian pigs that ate acorns or natural grain feed.

You can prepare small snacks for a festive table, parties with friends, take tapas for a picnic or work. The Spaniards do not have strict limits regarding the filling, so you can make a sandwich or croquet from almost any product - the choice will depend only on your taste preferences. The Spanish make tapas based on:

• ham;
• olives;
• cheese;
• fried anchovies;
• pickled cucumbers;
• mussels;
• potatoes;
• squid;
• sun-dried tomatoes;
• salted cod;
• sausages;
• omelet.

Features of the preparation of tapas in the Mediterranean and the Balkans

While in Barcelona, ​​every tourist should try the Catalan sausages served with beer. In the coastal region of Marbella, it is worth eating seafood: mussels, octopuses, shrimps. Arriving in Italy, you should try mini-pizzas, and Portugal - dried cod. In each country and region, snacks are prepared in their own way, and although they are called differently, this does not make the taste worse.

Italian antipasti

Antipasto is synonymous with tapas and is served in Italy before the main course, usually pasta. The appetizer is served on a separate plate and has 6 or more ingredients. There are other options for serving, when the antipasti consists of only one or two ingredients and is served in a transparent bowl. Some types of antipasti have separate names and can be served as an independent dish (caprese or bruschetta).

There are a lot of cooking options: with seafood, grilled vegetables, smoked meats. Among the variety, the following fillings are especially popular:

• Parma ham;
• scallops;
• fish cuts from tuna, salmon, swordfish;
• pink shrimp;
• snails;
• deep-fried squid;
• boiled octopus;
• bresaola - salted beef;
• polenta;
• cutting of Gorgonzola, Pecorino, Parmesan cheeses.

Portuguese "petiscos"

Wine appetizer in Portugal is called petiskos. It differs from traditional tapas in the size of the portion: the petiskos are larger and are often served as a separate dish. The composition is very diverse: deep-fried clams, fish, vegetable salad, olives. The national dish of bacalau is very popular among the Portuguese and tourists - salted dried cod. In small cafes, you can taste salgados - small pies stuffed with chicken, meat or vegetables.

Greek snacks

In Greece and Cyprus, an assortment of snacks is called meze. They are served at least 6-7 types, and often, after tasting, tourists do not have the energy for the main dish. On the plate will certainly be shrimps, small fried fish - barbuni, fish caviar, whipped with Greek yogurt. For those who do not like seafood, the Greeks will offer slices of pork on a bread cake with caramelized onions, eggplants in various forms, tiny meatballs - keftedes or variations of the famous Greek salad.

Tapas recipes

If you are interested in the culture of the people of Spain, arrange a culinary education at home and prepare a variety of tapas. There are a lot of recipes for this dish, choose the one that suits your taste more. Try fresh salad, fried prawns, or filled crispbreads. In any case, the dish will turn out to be very tasty and appetizing.

• Time: 25 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Caloric value: 237 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for breakfast.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty: easy.

Tortilla is a classic Spanish vegetable omelet. This dish is perfect for breakfast - it is very high in calories and nutritious. The tortilla is prepared on a potato pillow with onions and eggs. If desired, you can put fresh mushrooms, smoked meats, peppers, tomatoes into the omelet, season with fresh herbs. Before adding other ingredients, the potatoes must be boiled or fried until half cooked.

Ingredients:

• potatoes - 500 g;
• onions - 200 g;
• milk - 150 ml;
• eggs - 6 pcs.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the peeled potatoes into 5mm thick slices.
2. Fry the potatoes in vegetable oil until half cooked, about 5 minutes.
3. Add thin slices of onion to the pan and cook until tender.
4. Beat eggs with milk and salt separately.
5. Add the egg mixture to the potatoes and onions.
6. Cook over low heat until the protein has set, leaving the lid on the pan.
7. Then remove the pan from the heat, cover with a wide, flat plate and flip over in one motion so that the tortilla is on the platter.
8. Send the omelet back to the pan with the other side, bring until tender over low heat (1-2 minutes).

Russian salad on toast

• Time: 50 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Caloric content: 154 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for breakfast.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty: easy.

Initially, Ensaladilla rusa salad was prepared exclusively from expensive meat - venison, marbled beef, and seasoned with a special sauce. Over time, gourmet ingredients were replaced by simple products, allowing the less expensive interpretation of tapas to quickly spread outside Spain. Prepare a variation of the "Russian" salad on toast with vegetables, boiled eggs and olives.

Ingredients:

• potatoes - 250 g;
• mayonnaise - 150 ml;
• eggs - 2 pcs.;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• baguette - 150 g;
• olives - 6 pcs.;
• canned tuna - 1 small can.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the vegetables, boil until tender. Hard boil the eggs.
2. Chill boiled foods a little, peel and shell.
3. Cut potatoes, carrots into small cubes.
4. Grate the egg on a coarse grater.
5. Drain the oil from the tuna, mash the fish with a fork.
6. Mix all the ingredients, season with mayonnaise.
7. Cut the baguette into portions, fry on all sides in a frying pan without oil.
8. Place the filling on the cooled bread and garnish the sandwich with olive rings on top.

Tapas with anchovies

• Time: 10 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 1 person.
• Caloric content: 34 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for a buffet table.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty: easy.

This tapas variation came from the Balkans and has an unusual name - Gilda. Olives with spicy pepper and salty anchovy, chopped on skewers, have a spicy and unusual taste. Such tapas can be prepared for a light buffet table or served with strong alcohol. Gilda's ready-to-eat snack can be enjoyed in restaurants in New York, London, Barcelona, ​​Paris and Moscow.

Ingredients:

• green olives - 4 pcs.;
• pitted black olives - 4 pcs.;
• pickled hot peppers (small size) - 4 pcs.;
• canned anchovy fillet - 8 pcs.

Cooking method:

1. Drain the olives and olives.
2. First, chop an olive on a skewer, then anchovy, olive, fish fillet and pickled hot pepper again.

• Time: 15 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Caloric content: 87 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: appetizer.
• Cuisine: Mediterranean.
• Difficulty: easy.

Having prepared this version of tapas, you cannot avoid applause from the guests, because the shrimps are very tender, and the garlic favorably emphasizes the taste of the sea. If you bought gray shrimp from the store, then boil them before frying. Pink seafood is already boiled, no additional manipulations are needed with them. To keep the shrimp juicy, it is advisable to cook them with a shell.

Ingredients:

• shrimp with shell (medium size) - 1 kg;
• garlic - 3-4 cloves;
• dill - 20 g;
• Tabasco sauce - 10 g;
• semi-dry white wine - 280 ml;
• sunflower oil - 60 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the shrimps, send them to a frying pan, moderately heated with sunflower oil.
2. Add chopped herbs, tabasco sauce and garlic to the seafood.
3. Fry the shrimp on all sides over medium heat for 2 minutes.
4. Pour white semi-dry wine into the pan, add spices.
5. Simmer the dish under the lid for 4-6 minutes.

Slices of bread with tomatoes and garlic

• Time: 15 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 4 Persons.
• Caloric content: 50 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for breakfast.
• Cuisine: Spanish.
• Difficulty: easy.

Catalan bread (Pan Catalana) is the most basic snack, ingenious in its simplicity. In any town or village in this region, you will be served it with a glass of wine in the smallest and most unprepossessing bar - and it will still be deliciously delicious.

Ingredients:

• baguette - 1 piece;
• tomato - 2 pcs.;
• olive oil - 1-2 tablespoons;
• garlic - 1 clove.

Cooking method:

1. Slice the bread, brown the slices in the oven or in a dry frying pan.
2. Grate the tomatoes. It is convenient to do this by cutting them in half - as a result, the skin will remain in your hands.
3. Mix the tomato mass with olive oil, salt and season to taste.
4. Grate each slice of baguette with garlic, put the grated tomatoes. To increase satiety, you can put a slice of jamon on top, but even without this, the snack is self-sufficient.

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