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.
Oh I love tapas! I live in Australia and my go to tapas dishes are croquettes and pintxos! Love small bites to eat with lots of variety 🙂
I reckon it’s an Aussie thing. We just love nibbly things! 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi, WOW! what a wonderful spread. I live in South Africa and eagerly await your newsletter every week.I love the garlic mushrooms and Spanish marinated olives, the garlic prawns and chorizo, the paella…oh darn it… I love all the tapas dishes! Spanish dishes are still a bit unknown here and I can’t wait to make all these delicious tapas for my friends at our next get together… which (of course) is this coming weekend. I just know everyone will be raving about these tapas.
Hi Desiree all the way in South Africa! Thank you for reading, I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes. And I’m with you. Choosing a favourite tapas is like choosing a favite child!
Hi Nagi & (baby) Dozer!
Hmmm….. favourite tapas… I’ll have to go with the garlic prawns then the garlic mushrooms then the Spanish antipasto… no, the antipasto, the mushrooms, then the prawns… yep, that’s it! …hang on, the mushrooms, the antipasto then the prawns, yep, aw, no, I don’t know, all yummmm! !!! Get Dozer to pick one for me!!!
I am in Australia, and every week, as part of my work, I am lucky enough to have a group of Spanish ladies meeting at our community hub. They get together and just roar with laughter!!! Sometimes they add wine and roar louder!! You can’t help but laugh yourself… (wish I could understand their jokes)!!!! I know where I’d share the wine if I was lucky enough to win a prize!
Awwww wow Julia! I love hearing about your get together, especially that you laugh even though you can’t understand their jokes! BA HA HA! I get it though, laughter is infectious 🙂 N x (Baby) Dozer says WOOF!
I live in the US. My favorite is tortilla. My choir toured Spain and every town we visited served us a different variety. It’s delicious hot or cold, any time of day!
I am from Australia and I absolutely love the garlic mushrooms. I am planning my own tapas fiesta for my family very soon and the Paella dish would come in very handy.
Hi Nagi, being from rural Australia having great Tapas and (jugs of) sangria with my tequila buddies is definitely a treat. So a catchup in Canberra meant lots of food and after I returned home the postie came with a tapas recipe book from one of my buddies so I could practice and enjoy between visits. The list is long but near the top to try is Prawn & Chorizo Pinchos ??
Hi Belinda! Where about do you live? Is it far from Canberra? 🙂 N x
I’m near the NSW/ViC border so its a ‘lazy’ 3 hour (approx) drive. Thank goodness for cruise control and an iPod! I’m also practicing my Spanish wine drinking too because I already love the La Mesa Y Los Amigos Tempranillo
Rural Australia. It’s so beautiful. We really are so lucky, aren’t we?? Best country in the world! Keeping my fingers crossed for you in the giveaway so you can get a case of it!! I love all 3 of the wines, they actually sent me more and it was hard to choose the best 3! N xx
I am planning a dinner party next month and your recipes solved my problem of what to make. I have already tried the garlic shrimp which is so easy to make and tastes delicious. I am now ready to try all the other recipes. I am very curious about the white anchovies. I never had them before but the dish sounds amazing. I ll keep you posted how everything turns out.??
Oooh! I hope you do have a Spanish Feast Diane, GREAT for get togethers! White anchovies are lovely, they are less salty than the black ones so you can eat them straight!
Hello Nagi – I have always been a bit nervous about trying to cook paella. Not sure why. But I’m planning a dinner party next month and you (as always) are a great inspiration. So a Spanish themed tapas and paella it will be. I’ll come back and rate when I’ve cooked.
I love all things tapas – the sharing makes such a great atmosphere for the guests (and semi relaxing for the host as well – put it on the table and yell “eat” is my plan and just let the night stretch out as long as it needs to.)
My favourite tapas dish is a hard choice. But I’m thinking the garlic mushrooms will call me for second, third and maybe more helpings. The sizzling garlic and oil. YUM! I am guessing the plate will be licked clean. (Which reminds me – kiss that dog for me.)
Karen (Sydney Australia)
Actually, I get it Karen! I think a lot of chefs tend to make a “big deal” about Paella 🙂 Plus it looks fancy because it’s so loaded up with seafood and lots of chefs use expensive seafood like crabs and morton bugs. But actually, it’s even easier than risotto because once everything is in the pot, you just leave it and you can add more water later if the rice is too firm for your taste. 🙂 It’s really easy!
Hi Nagi! I am loving the Spanish recipes! You have inspired me to throw a Spanish feast for my friends. I am from Melbourne Australia and love Spanish Antipasto. Jamon ham that just melts in your mouth, and white anchovies (which i never seem to be able to find!) if you are ever in Melbourne you need to check out Lulo restaurant for the best Spanish tapas!
Oooh! Thank you for the tip Annie-Rose! I adore Melbourne, I get down there a couple of times a year!
I’m from the US and my favorite recipe is the paella. I make a similar dish but use a boxed yellow saffron mix. I also use shrimp, chicken and kielbasa sausage. I do add peas and red peppers. It is a hit at dinner parties.
Wow Nagi, Thank you for sharing this lovely photo… I am so thankful that you chose to take Dozer home that very day. What a picture of perfect love and bliss of you holding and hugging the little puppy version of Dozer and taking him home. Reggie and Dozer’s first encounter at the beach was very unique and if not for that vert faithful day, we may not have had the opportunity meet each other … I am so pleased your sister did not stop you from adopting Dozer that day and that you fell in love with him. Dozer is a wonderful dog, what a tall and handsome boy he is and you are super amazing ! I am so lucky and grateful to have met you and Dozer. axxx
There was no decision to be made! He was the dud left behind, the last puppy standing!!!!
Hello Nagi: I live in Canada and I am very pleased to have discovered your recipe site. I love the cultural variety! Easily, my favourite tapas dish is the chorizo. Coupled with a rustic bread, olives, cheese, and a lovely glass of wine……well, yum!
Thanks for reading Kathryn! Chorizo is right up there for me too….I call it the “other bacon” because it makes everything taste better!
Perth Australia and I cannot go past any sort of croquetas – you simply cannot beat that combination of creamy, soft centre and crispy crumbed coating!
I hear you Michelle. I am yet to meet any form of croquette that I don’t love!
Hi Nagi,
I am from Perth, Australia. My favourite tapas dish is chorizo <3.
After years of unsuccessfully trying to convince my husband to go to a Tapas restaurant with me, it looks like I will have to make this myself. He simply can not venture outside the usual cuisines (Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Thai, etc). I will be trying the recipes in this post tomorrow and hopefully, he will finally agree to take me to a Tapas restaurant some time in the near future.
Reading from United States, and thinking now about how wonderful those olives are! Thank you so much for all the great inspiration
California, United States
I love Paella & looking forward to trying your recipe ?
Hi I’m from Perh Western Australia
My favourite has got to be a yummy Paella!
And I will be trying to make your one on Sunday for my beautiful sister who is painting for me if I supply a yummy lunch!…. Bargain I say (I hate painting, and she hates cooking) win win
I’m sure a lovely glass of red by the fire To compliment a very large plate of Paella is a must!
I will head down to Dan Murphy’s today and try a Spanish wine as well. Thanks for the great suggestion!
Hang on – your sister is doing the muscle work painting while you COOK for her?? Can I borrow her for a few days please? Tell her I’ll cook 3 meals a day plus morning and afternoon tea! 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi, I’m from NSW, Australia.
I have to say your tapas recipes look really exciting! And totally do-able for a novice like me. I’m not super familiar with Spanish food so I don’t have a favourite dish as yet… but give me time! Can’t wait to whip up your Spanish feast for my family. They’ll love it for sure!
I really is totally doable Arle! And also because it can be made ahead, you don’t need to stress and rush, you can take your time! N x
USA. Love Garlic Shrimp. So glad I found your site via Woks of Life and love your mother’s RecipeTin Japan. Just made her teriyaki chicken – a big hit with my family. Can’t wait to make the churros. How lucky am I to find three favorite foodie sites! Thank you!
You did??? Oooohhhhh, she will be SO HAPPY when I send her this message!
Hi Nagi,
I live in Western Australia. In nearby Fremantle there is the most wonderful Tapas Bar and my favourite dish is tostadas with fig and Manchego.
Thank you for the Tapas recipes.
Lynn
Now THAT is a tostadas!!! 😉 N x