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Tapas for two

These well-loved Spanish starters are perfect for sharing - and to whip up quickly when you crave a quick bite

Fried Chicken Filled With Roasted Vegetables
Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients
10 gm red capsicum, chopped
Mixed vegetables, roasted
20 gm flour
Pinch of salt & pepper
150 gm chicken breast
1 egg, for coating
20 gm breadcrumbs
¾ cup cooking oil
15 gm cheddar cheese

Method
Mix chopped red capsicum and other roasted vegetables of choice into flour, along with a pinch of salt of pepper.  
Cut a hole into the chicken breast and fill it up with the prepared stuffing. Roll each breast into egg, followed by breadcrumbs.
Fry each breast in cooking oil over medium heat.
Melt cheddar cheese and add on top.
Serve.


Traditional Beef And Chicken Mince Meatballs With Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients
100 gm topside beef, minced
30 gm chicken breast, minced
7 gm garlic
5 gm parsley
20 gm flour
1 gm eggs
2 gm salt
2 gm pepper
10 gm breadcrumbs
10 ml olive oil
10 gm spring onion
10 gm onion
10 gm red capsicum
3 gm tomato paste

Method
In a blender or mortar, crush garlic with parsley.
Place this mixture in a large bowl with the mince; mix well and leave to stand for 20 minutes.
Add the flour, egg, salt and pepper to the mince and knead until all the ingredients are well combined. Make small balls and roll each one into the breadcrumbs.
Cook in hot olive oil until golden brown, then drain and place in a casserole dish.
Sauté spring onion, onion and red capsicum together. Stir in tomato paste. Add meatballs and allow to simmer. Serve.

Chicken Croquettes
Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 5-10 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients
100 gm butter
150 gm onion, finely chopped
150 gm flour, plus extra to coat
850 ml milk
150 ml chicken stock
300 gm chicken, minced
5 gm salt
5 gm black pepper
3 gm nutmeg powder
3 fresh eggs
200 gm breadcrumbs
120 ml olive oil

Method
Heat butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
Add onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Stir in flour and continue stirring vigorously. Cook for 5 minutes until flour is cooked through and golden brown.
Pour the milk and chicken stock into the flour mixture and cook, stirring continuously, for about 2 minutes, until it becomes a thick béchamel sauce.
Add chicken, sprinkle in salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Cook for another 2 minutes till the mixture becomes thick.
Take a spoon of the mixture and roll it in your hands to make a small cylinder. Roll the cylinder in some flour, then in the eggs and breadcrumbs, and set aside on a cookie sheet.
In a small deep frying pan, heat the olive oil to 375°C. Working in small batches, add the croquettes, making sure they are covered completely in oil. Fry until golden, about 1 minute, then transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to let drain.
Serve hot with parsley mayo dipping sauce.


Spanish-Style Garlic Shrimp
Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 5-10 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients
100 ml olive oil
50 gm butter
150 gm shrimp
30 gm fresh garlic
20 ml fish stock
1 gm dry chilli
5 gm spicy paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
5 gm fresh parsley

Method
In a wide, shallow sauté pan over high heat, warm the olive oil and butter; add shrimp and garlic and sauté quickly for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the fish stock, dried chilli, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasoning to your liking.
Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Classic Spanish Omelette
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 5-10 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients
Corn oil, to fry
80 gm Kennebec potato,
peeled, diced
40 gm white onion
Salt and pepper to taste
2 fresh eggs
20 ml olive oil
Sundried tomato, to serve

Method
Heat a pot with corn oil and fry potato and onion slowly until golden in colour. Add seasoning. Drain out the oil, and keep aside.
Beat eggs, add seasoning and set aside.
In a big bowl, mash potato and mix with beaten eggs.
Heat a big pan with olive oil, and make an omelette with the above mixture.
Garnish with sundried tomatoes. Serve.

Fried Calamari With Chilli Mayonnaise
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients
15 gm chilli mayonnaise
25 gm flour
5 gm paprika
100 gm calamari, sliced
10 gm lemon
Oil, to fry

Method
Combine chilli mayonnaise with flour and paprika.
Coat the sliced calamari with the chilli mayonnaise, flour and paprika mixture.
Fry calamari in a deep pan.
Drain and serve with lemons.