Throw the Ultimate Football Party
Your secret plays: Spanish tapas and a few smart party tips
Photos by Robert Whitman
Fútbol fanatics might be chasing the wrong ball, but there’s a thing or two we can learn from Spaniards about throwing a killer game-day party. Good food, great drinks, and a vibrant atmosphere are all staples of their fiestas. On the following pages, we’ll show you how to ditch the energy-sapping, gut-busting football fare for simple, elegant small-plate meals; how to pump up your party-planning skills; and how to overhaul your entertainment system to make sure your Super Bowl bacchanal goes down in history.
YOUR KICKOFF MENU
These delicacies from Seamus Mullen, chef and partner at New York tapas hot spot Boqueria, are perfect for handing off to your guests during the game. Each recipe serves six.
DATES WITH BACON
You’ll need
18 large Medjool dates, pitted
18 Marcona almonds
1/4 lb Valdeón cheese
1/4 lb bacon, each piece cut in half
How to make them
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Replace the pit in each date with a Marcona almond and ½ tsp Valdeón cheese. Wrap with a piece of bacon and skewer with a toothpick. Bake on a cookie sheet for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown.
MARINATED LAMB SKEWERS
You’ll need
½ lb lamb top round, cleaned and cut into 1” cubes
2 cups olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
½ cup packed chopped herbs (mint, chives, parsley)
Pinch of saffron
1 Tbsp toasted coriander, ground
1 Tbsp toasted fennel seed, ground
1 Tbsp toasted black cumin seed, ground
1 Tbsp toasted mustard seed, ground
1 Tbsp ground guindilla pepper (red pepper flakes can be substituted)
4 Tbsp Pedro Ximénez sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
How to make them
Spear the lamb cubes on 6” bamboo skewers. Combine the other ingredients and marinate the lamb in the mixture overnight. Place the skewers on a grill or preheat a sauté pan to medium-high and cook the skewers for 2 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness.
CLASSIC TORTILLAS
You’ll need
12 free-range eggs
Salt to taste
4 onions, thinly sliced
3 Idaho potatoes, thinly sliced
Olive oil
How to make them
Prepare the onions by caramelizing them in olive oil over low heat until dark brown. Prepare the potatoes by cooking them in olive oil over low heat until soft. Next, crack and beat the eggs, season them with salt, add the onions, and buzz with a hand blender. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a 10" nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat and turn until the oil coats the pan. Add the cooked potatoes and sauté until golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the egg mixture, and gently stir with a silicon spatula. Cook until the bottom is golden brown. Lay a plate facedown on top of the sauté pan and carefully invert the tortilla onto it, then wipe the sauté pan clean and slide the tortilla back in to cook the other side. The tortilla is done when a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
FINGER SANDWICHES
You’ll need
1 loaf sourdough Pullman bread
1 can Bonito del Norte or Ortiz Spanish tuna
1 Tbsp chopped chives
1 Tbsp diced shallots
1 Tbsp capers or chopped caper berries
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of one lemon
¼ cup chopped black olives
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
2 free-range eggs boiled for 6 minutes in simmering water, cooled, and sliced
½ cup pickled guindilla peppers
How to make them
Cut the bread into thin slices. Combine all of the other ingredients except the eggs and guindilla peppers. Distribute the tuna mixture evenly on half of the slices of bread and layer with slices of the hard-cooked eggs and the guindilla peppers. Cover with the remaining bread and cut each sandwich into quarters.
Check out the appetizer...
Comments
07 Feb 2008, 21:24