Royal British Legion Coin

SESSION FOUR

TAPAS

Pam Cross and Jo Taylor made their favourite tapas, and the group used a range of ingredients to make their own montadillos.

Montadillos are the little Spanish tapas pinned with a toothpick on to a slice of fresh barras, those long thin Spanish loaves. The suggestion was that people made their own from a range of delicious things from a central plate. Some suggestions were:

Brie or any other cheese slices anchovies

Sliced olives sliced gherkins

Tomato pepper slivers

Mussels or prawns onion

Cold meat of any kind sausage of any kind

Left-overs (plus anything you like)

This way people could have what they liked, or you could make them up before your guests arrive and fix them with a toothpick. Don’t forget mustard, mayo etc!

30 MINUTE TAPAS FEAST:

Tortilla cut into wedges

Ham or bacon wrapped around dates or prunes

Gem lettuce cut into wedges drizzled with warmed olive oil, crushed garlic, pine nuts

Hard boiled eggs with mayonnaise

Wiped mushrooms, stems removed stuffed with a prawn and cherry tomato slice and topped with a drop of soy sauce.

Jamon iberico, chorizo, salchichon

Cooked prawns

Small peppers stuffed with cream cheese and pesto (or any other dip)

Crusty bread

PAM’S SEAFOOD SALAD: (for tapas or as an accompaniment)

Crab sticks – chopped

Tin of mussels

Cooked prawns

Cooked frozen mixed vegetables

Sliced gherkins

Mayonnaise

Chopped hard boiled eggs (optional)

The delight of this delicious recipe is that you can make up as much as you need for the number of people eating it.

Directions: Simply mix up the desired amount and serve!

JO’S ENSALADA RUSA: ( make half for a small group – all for a crowd)

½ kilo boiled potatoes (cut small)

Diced carrots, beans, peas, red pepper etc (frozen will do) lightly boiled or steamed.

½ medium onion – finely chopped

4 sliced gherkins

12 sliced anchovy-stuffed olives

2 sliced hard boiled eggs

Mix: 5oz mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and ground pepper to taste, into a sauce.

Combine the potatoes and vegetables gently.

Add the onion, gherkin, olives and eggs.

Add the sauce mixture and mix everything well but fairly gently.

Refrigerate until an hour before serving then stand at room temperature.

BROAD BEANS AND BACON:

(Serves a crowd but it will keep for a day or two)

1 small bag of tiny broad beans

Lardons of bacon or jamon iberico

I large chopped onion

I minced clove of garlic

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Lightly cook the broad beans – don’t overcook them. (If you want to be posh – remove the lighter green skins afterwards)

Gently heat the oil and add the onion, garlic and seasonings. Cook gently with a lid until soft. Stir in the bacon bits (lardons) and cook for 10 minutes.

Mix it altogether and serve warm or let it cool