Tapas Party Menu

Everyone throws cocktail parties or dinner parties. So, why not throw a different kind of party – a Spanish Tapas Party?! Prepare 4-5 different tapas dishes and add several bottles of Spanish wine and you have a delicious party. Instead of serving all the tapas at once, try setting out one dish every half-hour or so. That way your guests will taste each tapa individually and before they fill up on the current tapa, the next one is being served. Since many tapas are best when cooked just before serving, you can impress your guests as you finish preparations while they watch!

Tortilla Española – Spanish Omelet

Yes, this is a favorite of Spanish cuisine, especially tapas. You can make it in the morning and refrigerate it until you are ready to serve it. Allow it to warm up to room temperature before serving. Because the tortilla is so popular and will disappear quickly, be sure to cut it into 1 1/2 – 2 inch squares and place each piece on top of a piece of bread. This way, your guests will eat their fill, but everyone will have the chance to taste it.

Calamares Fritos or Calamares a la Romana - Fried Squid

This is a quick and easy tapa to make if you buy squid that is already cleaned. You will find bags of frozen, cleaned squid bodies in Asian supermarkets. So, just slice, bread and quickly fry them. This tapa should be cooked just before you will serve it, so it is hot and fresh for your guests.

Gambas al Ajillo – Garlic Shrimp

One of the most common and most popular tapas in Spain, this dish is quick, easy and FULL of garlic flavor. Your guests will be asking for the recipe after the first bite, especially the garlic lovers!

Jamón, Queso y Chorizo con Pan - Ham, Cheese and Chorizo with Bread

This is a simple, but delicious appetizer or that everyone enjoys. It involves very little cooking and you can put it together at the last minute.

Ensalada Tropical - Spanish Tropical Salad

Although this salad is not a tapa, with all the protein and bread your guests are eating in the other tapas, this is a light and fresh finish to the evening. It does contain a little bit of fish and cheese, but your guests can skip those and savor the fresh fruit and lettuce.

Spanish Wines

Of course, if you are serving tapas, the best idea is to serve wonderful, rich Spanish wines with them. Wines from La Rioja are excellent and you really can't go wrong, but learn more about Spanish Wines from different regions in our articles below:

• Varieties of Sherry -- From Moscatel to Fino and Everything in Between
• Vinos de Castilla - Wines of Castilla -- Rueda, Ribera del Duero, Toro, El Bierzo and Cigales
• Vinos de La Rioja - Wines from La Rioja -- The world-famous wine-producing region in Spain