Five EASY Spanish Tapas recipes!! All your favourites from the tapas bar – garlic mushrooms, marinated olives, Chorizo, Spanish Garlic Prawns/Shrimp, Spanish Marinated Olives and the famous Spanish Omelette (Tortilla).
This is the first of a 3 part Spanish Feast Special series that I’m sharing this week – complete with Spanish Wine pairings!
Hola! Who loves Spanish Food?? Me, me, me!!
Spanish food is made for gatherings. Tables laden with rustic food for sharing – no fussy giant white plates with a tiny portion of fancy food with names I can’t pronounce, garnished with tiny herbs and assembled using tweezers.
Spanish food is the polar opposite. Flamboyant, colourful, celebratory, generous, loud – and absolutely lip-smackingly delicious. Totally my kind of food.
And in the spirit of Spanish extravagance, this week I’m sharing something a bit special – a three part SPANISH FEAST MENU!!! 5 EASY Spanish Tapas recipes to start, a Chicken & Seafood Paella for the main and Churros for dessert. Woah! What a spread!
But wait….there’s MORE! What Spanish Fiesta would be complete without WINE??? So for each course, I have a wine pairing suggestion. 🙂 And to start? I’m grabbing this one for tapas – a Spanish Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain’s most famous wine region. 🙂
I love the name of this wine – La Mesa Y Los Amigos which means “The table and the friends”. Perfect for tapas, no? 😉
Besides the name being perfect, it’s a really great pairing with tapas! I wanted something pretty neutral – medium bodied and smooth so it didn’t overpower the kaleidoscope of flavours in my Easy Tapas menu. This Tempranillo is a dry red with a subtle warmth of spices and it is exceptional drinking for the price which I never would have guessed as being only $12 a bottle at Dan Murphy’s (I kid you not, I was shocked). I love finding gems like this – and I love sharing these finds with you!!
A note for wine nerds: Tempranillo is a Spanish black grape variety that is native to Spain, used to make medium to full bodied wines. It’s grown fairly widely around the world now, including in Australia and the States.
EASY SPANISH TAPAS RECIPES
I think that tapas, paella and churros are probably the most well known Spanish dishes in the world and I’m pretty darn excited to be sharing those with you this week! To kick things off, five easy Spanish Tapas recipes. I’ve added notes in the recipe for how to prepare these ahead so you don’t have to be scurrying around in the kitchen when your friends arrive. 🙂
Here’s a little run down of each of the recipes in this Tapas spread.
Garlic Prawns/Shrimp and Chorizo – The two dishes that I always order at tapas bars!
Garlic Mushrooms and Spanish Marinated Olives – Possibly my favourite way with mushrooms! The olives are just plain store bought olives that are dressed with herbs and citrus. Yum!
Spanish Omelette (Tortilla) – Arguably one of the most delicious omelettes in the world and commonly served as tapas in Spain! Because this requires a few more steps than the other recipes in my Easy Tapas recipes spread, I’ve included it as a separate recipe – get it here.
Jamon, Spanish Manchego Cheese and White Anchovies – Jamon is the Spanish version of prosciutto and it’s now widely available in Australia, even in supermarkets! Manchego is a Spanish cheese that is made with sheep milk that is beautifully buttery with a mild tang – one of my personal favorites (and you know how much I love cheese!!). White anchovies are completely different to the black anchovies that come in a jar (used in things like Caesar Salad dressings) – they are way less salty and marinated in vinegar, not oil. Perfect for antipasto!
Tiempo a la fiesta!! (It’s time to feast!)
– Nagi xx
PS Don’t forget Paella and Churro to complete your feast!!
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5 Easy Tapas Recipes
Ingredients
Garlic Prawns / Shrimp
- 1/4 cup / 65 ml olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves – 3 smashed , 1 minced
- 250 g / 8 oz raw prawns , peeled
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Finely chopped parsley
- Optional: lemon
Garlic mushrooms
- 1/4 cup olive oil (65 ml)
- 4 garlic cloves – 3 smashed , 1 minced
- 300 g / 10 oz Swiss brown or other small mushrooms
- Finely chopped parsley
Chorizo
- 2 (~250g / 8oz) chorizos , sliced (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
Marinated Olives (Note 4)
- 250 g / 8 oz plump black and green olives
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp Lemon or orange zest
- 1/3 cup olive oil (85 ml)
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried oregano or 1 tsp fresh thyme)
Spanish Antipasto
- Jamon cured ham
- Manchego Spanish Cheese
- White Anchovies
Spanish Omelette
- Spanish Omelette recipe here
To Serve
- Bread , Olive oil, Lemon wedges
- La Mesa Y Los Amigos Tempranillo Spanish Wine (great with tapas!)
Instructions
Garlic Prawns (Note 1)
- Place the smashed garlic in a skillet with the oil over medium heat. Sauté for 10 minutes, squishing the garlic down to squeeze juice out as it cooks, until garlic is golden brown. Then remove and discard garlic.
- Sprinkle prawns with salt and pepper. Turn stove up to high. When oil is hot, add prawns and cook for 2 minutes (for medium prawns) or until charred and just cooked. Just before the end, add the minced garlic and quickly saute, then transfer prawns into serving bowl.
- Sprinkle with parsley and red pepper flakes if using.
Garlic Mushrooms (Note 1)
- Halve or quarter the mushrooms, depending on size.
- Follow Garlic Prawn steps, except cook mushrooms instead of prawns. Cook the mushrooms until they are golden.
Chorizo
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook Chorizo until golden on both sides, then transfer to serving bowl, scraping in oil in the skillet.
Marinated Olives (Note 4)
- Combine ingredients in an airtight jar. Refrigerate for 24 hours – no longer than 48 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Spanish Antipasto
- Bring cheese to room temperature. Place on platter with ham and anchovies.
To Serve
- Place serving bowls / platters on table with plenty of bread to dunk into the leftover olive oil. Serve with your favourite Spanish wine!
Recipe Notes:
Giveaway CLOSED! Winners announced shortly.
ANNOUNCING: Spanish Fiesta Giveaway WINNERS!
The winners of the Spanish Fiesta Giveaway are:
Australia: Ian from the Hunter Valley, Belinda from NSW/Vic and Brittany!
Rest of world: Caitlin from Canada, Louellen from Sunny California, Sandra in the US
CONGRATULATIONS!! Each winner will receive a Spanish Fiesta prize pack of Spanish Wine, Paella Pan and Paella rice. I will email you shortly to arrange delivery!
4 x AUSTRALIAN PRIZES (Total Value A$600): 4 x Spanish Fiesta Gift Packs, each comprised of 6 x Spanish red wines (, 1 x 32 cm Miguel Maestre paella pan + 3 x paella rice. Delivered right to your door!
2 x WORLDWIDE PRIZES (Total Value US$300): Gift from me! 2 x Spanish Fiesta Gift Packs, each comprised of 6 x Spanish wines, 1 x 12″ paella pan + 1 x paella rice! If delivery is unavailable by Amazon or delivery cost is unreasonable due to winner location, the winner will receive an Amazon or Paypal gift voucher to the value of the prize.
Open To: Everyone, everywhere in this big wide world!!
To Enter: Just leave a comment below, telling me which country you live in and what your favourite tapas dish is! (PS Don’t worry if you can’t see your comment straight away, some need to be approved before they are displayed 🙂 )
Open Until: Monday 5 September 2016, AEST
Giveaway Terms and Conditions – You must be over 18 to enter in Australia, or over 21 in the rest of the world. Six winners will be randomly selected by a representative of Pinnacle Drinks. The winners will be notified by email and on www.recipetineats.com. If the winner does not respond within 7 days, another winner will be selected. For winners located outside of Australia, if the prizes cannot be delivered by Amazon.com or due to winner location, delivery cost is excessive, then the winner will receive an Amazon or Paypal gift voucher to the value of the prize.
Disclosure – This post and the Australia giveaway wine prizes are sponsored by Pinnacle Drinks, the geniuses who discovered and are spreading the love of Spanish wines throughout Australia! Wine and Spanish food lovers of the world such as myself thank you. <3
The paella pan and Paella rice included in the Australian prizes are donated by Maestre Family Food.
The Worldwide Prizes are being provided by me, Nagi Maehashi of RecipeTin Eats.
.Life of Dozer
This is the day I bought Dozer. I took my sister with me under strict instructions to ensure that I did not buy a puppy, that I was just window shopping. We had 3 puppy viewings lined up for that day.
Suffice to say, I never made the other two puppy visits.
Hi Nagi,
I´m from Brazil, here they are called “tira gostos”.
My favorite is Chorizo (linguiça), but I think after making the garlic mushrooms it will be a tie.
PS: I love your recipes!!!!
Hi Nagi ,
some of my favourite tapas are Paella with or without the seafood , chorizo cooked slightly crispy in plenty of olive oil so can dip crusty bread in it , garlic mushrooms / prawns the same , or basically anything that has garlic in it .
I live in turkey at the moment but have family in the UK and when we get together we cook and eat family style no plated food everything is put in the middle of the table to help yourself and try different dishes in one meal .
I have only just recently found your web site and have downloaded a few recipes that appeal to my eclectic tastes for food from around the world , and the thing that draws me to your recipes are the photography they are excellent .
i am looking forward to trying them soon . kevin .
I live in Adelaide. I love garlic prawns and with chilli flakes – wow & yum.
My husband and I are going to visit Spain next month and we shall eat tapas and more tapas.
Hi Nagi!
I live in Boston, MA in the US and HAVE to be your #1 Dozer fan! He reminds me of my beloved Golden, Garbo, who passed about 20 years ago after giving me almost 15 years of joy.
My favorite Tapas meal would have to be the Omelet, though the thought of Wednesday’s Paella has me drooling already! Keep up the good work, and thanks for posting your pics of Dozer!
Hi Nagi
I am from Perth WA. My favourite tapas; so hard to choose between garlic mushrooms, marinated olives, mushroom tostada, Spanish omelette, those tiny potatoes in delicious dressing, the list goes on. Thank you for your blog, the amazing photos and great recipes. Your blog re-ignited my love of cooking after a couple of years of illness when taste and smell went awol so thank you so much. Really love your one pot/tin meals and the carrot cake is my go to recipe just for me.
I read this and just had to comment. Illness and then awol taste and smell!!! That is beyond unfair!
And I agree the carrot cake is amazing! x
Hi Nagi,
I’m from Malaysia. I love mushrooms so garlic mushrooms together with marinated olives have simply got to be my favourite tapas! And as Malaysians say, “Lagi, Nagi!” (More, Nagi!)
Here’s a tough one for you….Malaysian food or tapas??? 😉 N x
Nagi, can I say “Both”? Malaysian food is so diverse and Spanish food is like a relation! So why not enjoy both? 🙂
Of course! Like I could never choose a favourite cuisine…..not even Japanese! 🙂
Definitely garlic prawns, or maybe olives, or maybe…
Have been trying quite a few of your recipes for a year or so and success every time. Live in Melbourne with the family and my beautiful dog, (enjoy hearing about Dozer).
Hi – I live in Nova Scotia Canada – and sorry, but I can’t pick just one!! I love the Garlic Mushrooms and then of course, the Spanish Omelette!!
In fact, I think I’ll be making the omelette for tonight’s supper!! A little salad on the side, and we’re good to go!!
Love your recipes, my friend – keep em coming!!
I plan to Suzanne! I promise! 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi – I am in Australia and my favourite tapas would have to be Spanish Tortilla! Love your blog and recipes.
I’m so glad you are enjoying my blog Debbie, thank you for reading! 🙂 N x
I live in the United States. My favorite tapas are anything that involves a tortilla or flatbread!
I’m an Australian (Newcastle, NSW) native, but I live with my partner in the Netherlands for study and work. I loved the garlic prawnies- I know they’re part of the Spanish spread, but when I tried them, they reminded me of Boxing day under the sweltering Aussie sun and how much I miss that big sunburnt land <3
Love from Groningen, NL 🙂
Awww Sarahanne! Newie will always be there for you…. 🙂 Actually, one of my best friends’ lies in Newcastle! In Hamilton. 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi,
I’m in Thailand and think, of those listed,that there is one that stands out from the rest.
Why?
Because it’s the most versatile.
Marinated Olives can either be enjoyed with a glass (or more) of wine OR be used as part of a tapas selection to make other individual dishes even more interesting – they imho enhance the flavours of every other tapas dish!
I can’t think of any other tapas (listed or not) that can claim to do the same.
p.s. Have you tried the African Pork recipe I sent you yet?
I will keep on “nagging” until you do!
Best regards,
Phil
That’s so true Phil, good pick!!! I haven’t had a chance yet but it’s in my “MUST TRY Recipes” folder. Thanks for the prompt! 🙂
Hi Nagi,
I live in Australia and it’s such a hard choice to choose one favourite. I think I would have to start with garlic prawns followed closely by crispy chorizo. Yum.
Oooh. Chorizo. Don’t need to do ANYTHING to it! Love that even the ones from Woolies are so fab! 🙂
I live in Canada and for tapas it would have to be Garlic Prawns. My daughters and I love your recipes showing up in my email. Keep up that creative cooking please.
Thanks Lorraine!!! And….prawns?? Not shrimp? 🙂 N x
The garlic Mushrooms as they are so delicious. I live in Sydney Australia
I must admit, I’m a sucker for Garlic Mushrooms….. 🙂 Possibly my absolute favourite way with mushies!
I love love love all your recipes. I am from Nanaimo BC Canada. I have your book your wing eBook & your app. I would choose Garlic Prawns, but Garlic Mushroom a close second. It was hard to choose. Would love to win your give away. Have fun in your travels
So glad you are enjoying my recipes Kathryn!!! Soooooo….you’re a garlic fan too…. 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi!
I live in the USA and my favorite tapas dish is the Spanish tortilla which I tried for the first time in Spain. I’ve made it at home, but it’s not the same as having it served to you while seated at a bar in Spain.
I hear you Rose….. 🙂 N x
Hello 🙂 I’m Heather from the U.S. and my absolute FAV is the Spanish Omelette! Cheers!
Hi Heather! I honestly think the Spanish Omelette is the BEST omelette in the world…..seriously! 🙂 N x
My favourite tapas are marinated olives and Spanish ham with crusty bread and chopped tomato. Also I like tortilla.
I’m from Russia, Moscow.
Hi Ann from Moscow! How’s summer for you?? I must admit I have no idea what the Russian summer weather is like!! All I know is that it gets REALLY cold there in winter…. N x
This summer is hot and very rainy in Moscow. But not so cold in the winter))
I think the garlic mushrooms sound just scrumptious, but I believe the marinated olives would come in a close second. I’m from the United States. I’d love to serve both with that spanish omelet–what an interesting recipe! Thank you…