A few of my lovely readers have commented that they would love to have a tapas dinner party but it seems like a lot of work, so I’ve put together a few words of advice as I have hosted tapas dinner parties for over a year now and have experienced successes and failures. I hope these tricks alleviate the mystery and inspire you to have a tapas dinner party.
- Planning is everything. Think of a theme you wish to follow and create a menu around it; break it out into steps for timing and serving (I’ll give an example of this). Decide how many groups of courses you will serve (i.e., 4 courses of sets of 1-2 dishes are 4 x 1 (0r 2)). If this is your first tapas dinner party and you don’t have a stock up of quick hors d’œuvres in the freezer then start the cooking about 1 week in advance and make 1 to 2 things for the freezer. Don’t worry, you will use them up eventually!
- Mise en place is key. Chop, cut, slice, grate anything you can do ahead of time, DO IT. Prepare similar items all at once (as in chop ALL the onions you will need and separate it out into each course). Store meats and fishes in the fridge. I always put ingredients that need to be together in one place in the fridge.
- It’s on ‘the list’. There are many components to a tapas dinner party, so even the best of us will struggle to remember everything you need to add, pinch, and sauce so MAKE A LIST and REFER to it throughout the evening.
- Distribute the labour. I have found including your partner in helping with preparation and serving the courses allows each of you to alternate kitchen duty and spend time with your guests.
- Make it Simple. Choose a combination of freshly made courses and previously made and frozen courses.
- Keep it small. Remember that you are having a lot of food over a long period of time so portions should be small (for example, 1-2 medium shrimp per person is one course. Do you have frozen soup in the fridge? Serve it in shooters instead of bowls—it’s an instant serving!
- Timing is everything. Make sure you serve the courses spread out over time, this dinner party is about conversation and food…all night. Our tapas usually last 3-4 hours with some breathers in between.
- Relax. Fortunately Tapas make a very casual dinner party so you needn’t worry when one coarse is 15 minutes later than expected. Keep the wine flowing and the conversation going and you will have a wonderful evening.
To illustrate how easy this type of dinner party is, below I am posting a sample menu. I may use this for a future dinner party.
Our 21012 European Adventure through Tapas (4 x 1):
Course 1: Budapest
- Áginéni’s Cheese Sticks (I usually have these in the freezer, but if I don’t I just make a fresh batch and freeze the leftovers for another party!)
Course 2: Spain
- Bacon wrapped scallops and bacon wrapped dates (Devil on horseback) – I have these in the freezer too, ready to go!
- Chorizo with tomatoes and balsamic (this is very easy to put together the night of)
Course 3: France
- Escargot en Profiteroles (I always have the cheese puffs, canned escargot, and frozen butter, garlic and parsley balls ready for action)
Course 4: Austria
- Austrian Sachertorte three ways. Make one beautiful dessert and serve it three different ways in very small portions. (off the top of my head, I’m thinking 1) a traditional slice, 2) roughly cut into a small trifle, 3) and twice baked into a small biscotti and served with a mini cappuccino!)
Think ahead when you’re cooking weekday meals, if you’re making a large batch of chili, put aside a full serving for a future tapas dinner and serve it in mini pitas. If you’ve made soup, set aside enough for shooters and serve in espresso cups. A dip and bread may be considered as a course. A simple course might be Saganaki. I try to alternate previously prepared or easy courses with something a bit more complex. Involving your partner to help with alternate courses also breaks up the time spent in the kitchen…don’t you think your partner might love to light the Saganaki and serve this fiery treat?
Desserts, I find are relatively easy too. If you’ve made brownies, cut the edges and freeze. Then for a small tapas dessert, whip some cream or make a quick custard and assemble a trifle with the left-over edges, serve with a shot for extra effect!
Example for timing the menu above (note: the times are just guidelines)
7:30 guests arrive, start with libations and Aunte Ági’s cheese sticks. Pit the oven on and move into the living room and have lovely conversation. Perhaps put on a fire, and definitely play some music (we like jazz).
7:45: put the scallops into the oven, they will take longer than the bacon wrapped dates. Depending on the size of scallops, turn about 5-7 minutes, now add the bacon wrapped dates. Bake for another 5-7 minutes.
8:10 serve the bacon wrapped scallops and dates. Keep the oven on.
Around 8:30-8:45 your partner should pop into the kitchen to start the chorizo course, meanwhile fill the glasses.
Warm the serving dish and prepare the dish.
9:00 Serve chorizo dish with bread.
9:45 You’ll likely want a bit of a break, but you can ready the escargot for the oven, bake for 10 minutes until butter has melted and the Chou is crispy. Serve hot at 10ish.
The dessert should already be made and plated with some last minute garnished to attend to. Serve with coffee/tea when your guest say they are ready.
Tapas need not be stressful, after all, it’s about getting together with friends in a casual setting. Cheers! I hope to read about your tapas dinner party soon.
Great tips! I’ll definitely be keeping ‘mise en place’ in mind! My last dinner party (a year ago!) was a bit disastrous. I was cooking/tidying until the very last minute and didn’t have time to freshen up before our guests arrived. Next time, I’ll simplify cooking using your suggestions!
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Thanks Amber, dinner parties are something you learn to perfect over the years; I’ve been doing them for more than 20!
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This is awesome Eva! I’m printing this off and going to use it as a reference for when we have our friends over. We have to do this! You definitely made it sound much more manageable. 🙂
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Thank you Kristy for the lovely compliment! I hope to read about your tapas experience.
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Love all the points, but I’m a big fan of the “mise en place”. Whenever I saw chefs on TV with everything ready prepared in dainty little bowls I used to scoff and think that it looked so “staged”…… and then I tried it myself. Doesn’t it make preparation SO much easier? Even preparing water ready in a glass seems to streamline the process so much more!
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Thank you. It sure does, Charles, the prep is a little longer but the cooking is a breeze! One of the best things I’ve learned.
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You are so good at planning, Eva. When we make food we almost never save or freeze any of it because we are lazy and enjoy eating the leftovers for days before anyone needs to cook again. Have you got sachertorte on the blog somewhere?
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Thank you kindly Sharyn. No, I haven’t made Sachertorte as yet, but when I do, rest assured I will post the recipe. It was my wonderful father’s favourite.
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Love these tips, Eva, and it sounds a bit like planning for my cocktail and hors d’oeuvres party, but not as much food and a different style of food. Love all your ideas about thinking ahead when you’re making dinners to freeze some and repurpose, especially! So a question: no one is actually sitting at a dinner table at your parties, more of a standing/sitting cocktail approach, yes?
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Hi Betsy, we actually sit in the living room or on the back deck cocktail area. It’s not quite a cocktail party because its only 2 or 3 couples. The food comes out in stages and not all at once on a table.
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This is excellent, Eva! I’m planning a book club gathering…and many of your tips apply as well. I may have to add bacon wrapped scallops to my menu…mmmmmm.
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Thanks Liz they were incredibly tasty!
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yup, it’s all in the organization
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Sounds good Eva. When should Liz and I arrive to enjoy everything? 🙂
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Hi Jed, you bring the wine(s) and we’re on! 😉
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These tips are very helpful, esp. for me, who has zero experience in hosting a tapas dinner party. Thanks, Eva.
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You are most welcome Angie. I admit the first one was a bit scary, but it worked out in the end.
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Thank you, Eva, for useful tips. I make most of my party dinners as “tapas” parties, but I don’t call them tapas, just snack dinner (actually not exactly either, because I don’t call them in English…) Anyway, I would add another advice to your list: vary the snacks to make sure everyone has something he or she loves. I know some people who don’t like hot dishes for example, or seafood, some who don’t eat meat, some who diet, some who hate some vegetables, etc. and I find warm and cold snacks dinner the best option to satisfy everyone. I also try to remember which guest went crazy for which dish and try to prepare it among other snacks every time she or he comes.
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Those are excellent tips Sissi. I love that you remember your friends likes and dislikes; I keep a dinner party log to do the same!
Thank you.
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Great tips, may I add: date and label everything you put in the freezer, and if making more that one sauce or dressing ahead of time, label as well.
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Great tip Norma! I bet you have a million things in your freezer that can be tappa-fied!
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I agree with you Eva that organisation would be the key. I wish I could come to one of your tapas dinner parties – I’d bring a nice Aussie red from the Margaret River in WA. xx
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Wouldn’t that be a total blast Charlie! I’d love to have you to one of my dinner parties! Thanks.
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Oh, you’ve written it all out for us!! Thank you so much!! So, if I’m reading correctly, planning for about 4 courses, with each person having about 2 of each would be the correct amount of food? I know when it’s spread out over an evening, people don’t eat as much? This is a great guide!
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Thanks Barbara, it depends on your guests, our’s tend to be lighter eaters. You also have to remember that it takes about 30 minutes for your brain to get the message that you’re full, so people really don’t eat as much spread over time. If your worried about the hungrier ones you can add a dip which gives everyone the opportunity to have as much or as little as they choose. You can also make a few extras for the ‘pot’ and I’m sure someone will finish it off.
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That’s what I was thinking.. whenever I’ve done a wine pairing and smaller dishes dinner out, I’m full so much quicker! Thanks Eva!
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They’re great tips Eva and I have to say that they’re also good for regular dinner parties too so doubly useful 😀
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So true, Lorraine, I never thought of that.
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After reading this I’m ready for a tapas party!
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Thanks Maureen, and I’m sure John will help you too!
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Sounds like another fun evening of nibbles, drinks and good conversation at your house, Eva. Wish I could be there. 🙂
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Thanks Maria, what a lovely compliment, door is always open!
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Oh wow what a read! You are the queen so must follow tips 🙂
Bookmarked!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Thanks CCU, it’s a fun dinner party, hope you try it one day.
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Thanks for popping over and visiting my blog…I hope you like the tortilla soup. It really was very tasty!
I love tapas, but have never held a tapas party, nor cooked any tapas-style food. I have recently been given a tapas book, so I may keep your handy tips in my favourites to refer to when I do!
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Thanks Ali, I making the soup tomorrow in the slow cooker! Can’t wait to have it.
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