Worldly tapas

Light meals are in. The Spanish have a tradition we can borrow from. They eat “tapas”. At first it was a way not to drink on an empty stomach and consisted of little more than a garnished piece of bread. But soon the vast array of Spanish cuisine came to the rescue and contemporary tapas include any food preparation in smaller quantities. A bar fare generally includes 4 to 6 different preparations. It is not necessary to confine oneself to Europe and Asia has much to offer to enrich the repertoire. Here is my selection of 6 worldly dishes. They bring to mind countless hot afternoons spent leisurely sharing good conversation, wine and food under the shade of a tree. The memory sustains us in the long cold winter, while the food miraculously lifts our spirit.
To prevent last minute panic, start by the marinade for the lamb chops, continue with the Japanese vegetables, which you can ready and then reserve in the oven until dinner is served. Prepare the ham and cheese rolls, which can also be kept warmed in the oven. Make and refrigerate the chocolate sauce. When the guests arrive, prepare the truffle quail eggs crostini and grill the Asian chops. It will take about 5 minutes.

Spanish Meatballs
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 20 minutes, A little pricey)
Ingredients:
½ lb lamb meat from the shoulder
2 slices of bread
2 tablespoons of milk
1 egg
Dusting of flour
½ lb Spanish cheese (Manchego)
1 slice foie gras
Material:
1 food processor
1 frying pan
1 ovenproof dish

Remove the crust from the bread and soak in the milk.
Grind the meat and the bread in the food processor with the sharp blade on.
Add the egg and mix well. Dust a plate with flour and roll out bite-sized meatballs.
Fry them on all faces and place them in the ovenproof dish. You can refrigerate them until ready to serve.
Turn on the oven at 360F with the grill option on. Place the partition in the oven on the upper tier.
Add a shaving of cheese on the top of the meatballs. Cut the foie gras in small pieces and add to the meat. Cook until cheese and foie gras have melted.
Serve immediately

Asian chops
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes, Marinade: 2 hours plus, Reasonable)
Ingredients:
6 tiny lamb chops
1 slice ginger
1 garlic clove
2 stems cilantro
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
Material:
1 salad bowl
1 blender
1 frying pan

Place all the ingredients except for the lamb chops in the blender and run the machine.
Marinate the lamb chops in the blended sauce for at least two hours.
Stir-fry the lambs for three minutes on each side and serve immediately.

Truffle quail eggs crostini
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes, Cheap)
Ingredients:
6 quail eggs
6 slices of baguette
Truffle oil
6 asparagus stems
Salt and pepper to taste
Material:
Toaster
Frying pan
Sprinkle truffle oil on top of the bread and toast until crisp and gold.
Add the olive oil to the frying pan and sauté the asparagus until lightly charred. Set the asparagus on top of the bread.
Crack the eggs in the lightly oiled pan and cook them sunny side up. Place each egg on top of the bread. Add salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Ham and cheese rolls
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 40 minutes, Cheap)
Ingredients:
6 thin slices cooked ham
6 slices Gruyère
1 tablespoon cream
2 tablespoon scream cheese
1 potato peeled and cubed
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs
Breadcrumbs
Olive oil for frying
Material:
Saucepan
Whip
Frying pan
Toothpicks
Place the potato cubes and milk in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the butter, cream and cream cheese. Whip into a purée. Bring to room temperature.
Lay down a slice of ham. Cover with the Gruyère slice. Top with a little purée. Roll up and secure with two toothpicks. Refrigerate until ready to eat dinner.
Dip the roll in the beaten egg and coat with breadcrumbs.
Fry in abundant oil. Serve immediately.
Japanese vegetables
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes, Resting time: 60 minutes, Cheap)
Ingredients:
¾ cup (180 ml) soda water
2/3 cup (105 g) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1½ teaspoons salt
1 sweet potato
1 broccoli stem
Red pepper flakes
Vegetable oil for deep frying
For the sauce (facultative):
1 tablespoon Daikon radish grated
2 tablespoons Mirin sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Frying oil
Material
Tongue
Fry maker or a deep saucepan
Ovenproof dish
Paper towel
Salad bowl
Bowl
Sifter
Pour the soda water in the bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch and salt. Whisk until blended. Cover and refrigerate for 45-60 minutes.
Put all the sauces together in a little bowl. Add the grated daikon and red pepper flakes.
Peel and form fries out of the sweet potato. Cut the broccoli florets, keeping the broccoli stems for a soup. Wash and dry them.
Heat the oil to 375F (190C). Dip the vegetables in the batter. With the tongue, remove each piece and fry four at a time for about two minutes. Transfer to an ovenproof dish lined with paper towel in a low (200F/95C) oven while you finish up frying. Prepare in the oven and keep until ready to serve.
Serve with or without the sauce.
Strawberries dipped in chocolate
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes, Cheap)
Ingredients:
18 strawberries washed, stem on
3 oz dark chocolate
¼ cup heavy cream
1 pinch Espelette powder
Material
1 bowl
Melt the chocolate with the cream. Whip in the powder. This can be prepared ahead and can be micro waved before serving.
Serve surrounded with the strawberries to dip.