The Heart of the Table | A World of Inspiration
Tapas Crawl Dinner Party!
One of the coolest outings we arranged was on a family trip to Madrid; it was a tapas crawl!
The Tastes of Madrid
Our guide met us at our hotel and then took us on a walking tour of the local bars and pubs. We sampled small plates of paella, shellfish, specialty croquettes, and rich tomato soups, both hot and cold. We ended the evening at a coffee shop that served warmed churros directly from the fryer to the middle of your table, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and accompanied by a rich, deep chocolate sauce for dipping. To say the evening was yummy would be one of the biggest underestimates of the century!
For a recent dinner party, I decided to incorporate the tapas theme into the evening. My BIG plan is to think SMALL! Small plates that is. Rather than a soup to the nuts four-course menu, think small plates all the way through the meal.
"I canvassed my guests, and by far the favorite dish of the evening was the shrimp. It’s an easy, one-pan meal that is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner."
Sizzling Garlicky Shrimp & Peppers
I started the meal with an antipasti plate that included plums wrapped with prosciutto. The specialty drink was Sangria, which blended a bottle of dry red wine with brandy, triple sec, lemon and orange juices, and ginger ale.
The secret to a successful small plate dinner party, is to have the plates stacked for each item, and the food prepped and ready to go.
The rest of the meal went like this: Croquetas de jamón, which is a fried ham and béchamel croquette, served with a dipping sauce of spicy aioli. Chilled gazpacho shooters served in juice glasses came next. A small dish of garlicky shrimp and shishito peppers followed the soup. In place of traditional paella, my Americanized version was made with shredded chili roasted short ribs, peas, and Portobello mushrooms. The final small plate presented warm churros with individual small bowls of chocolate sauce for dipping. Hungry yet?! If any of these tapas ring your bell, let me know. I have the recipes!
Shishito peppers are only in season for a short time, so feel free to substitute with slices of poblano peppers, snow pea pods, green beans or asparagus. They all work well, with the garlicky olive oil and shrimp.
The Heart of the City
If this Spanish-inspired menu has you craving authentic flavors, wait until you try the quintessential center-piece of any true Tapas crawl: my signature Tortilla Española.
View Tortilla Española in the Vault