“Come to dinner at home.” Surely before finishing the invitation you have already realized that the fridge is almost empty, that there is not much time to go to the supermarket and then get involved in the kitchen and that, make no mistake, it is even better if the guests bring some pizza. But even if the others are in charge of the main one, what less than to prepare some starters in conditions following the maxim of all good diners: keep it simple, tasty and look great.
It is not necessary to study the Bullipedia by heart to know that some good preserves, some salad and cheeses can triangulate some wonderful appetizers that are easy to improvise. In addition, we are going to try so that it is hardly necessary to light the fire and throw away products that we possibly have at home or that are easy to find in any store in the neighborhood.
Before you roll up your sleeves and get started, put a couple of bottles of wine in the fridge. Or prepare an ice bucket with water and ice. That always looks great and is appreciated. If you want to score a point before you start, propose a fino or a manzanilla. For price, quality and ability to surprise it is simply unbeatable and can be found in almost any store. And yes, you can pour yourself a drink while you cook, of course.
Here are some ideas for this impromptu pica pica:
Opening the bag of mezclum and cutting some tomatoes can always be a last resort. But we are going to try to be a little more original without having to invent much. Resorting to seasonal fruits always works and is cheap. Melon with ham? Always in favor of the old, but it does not count as a salad.
Better a base of watermelon, feta cheese -or similar- chopped mint and black olives. Colorful, fresh and getting a little out of the usual. Something more classic? The best burrata we can find, tomatoes and good oil is a combination that never fails. To give it a different touch, some tomatoes passed through the pan -without cutting- are also an interesting option.
If there is a product that saves any appetizer and of which there should always be supplies in the fridge, it is preserves. Some razors and some cockles and we already have a category vermouth assembled. Cheaper, some mussels. As is or, attention, served on some good fat fries they become a dish that is prepared in 20 seconds and always triumphs.
If we want to improve it, on top of these potatoes with mussels some piparras go very well. And since we have these Basque chillies on hand -he remembers, the good ones are not hot-, nothing better than preparing some gildas. All we need is the best anchovies we can buy, olives and a toothpick.
It is true that some that are sold already ready are magnificent, but it is not something that is found in any supermarket, so the homemade version is possibly better if you try to improvise.
A can of canned anchovies and good bread nearby is not unworthy either, of course. But do not forget about canned vegetables. Cold asparagus or grilled for a few seconds to brown and temper it, a vinaigrette and we’ve got it.
Another easy and quite obvious resource that cannot be missing: cheese. If you have a specialized store nearby, it is best to put yourself in their hands with whatever budget it is and prepare a varied selection, playing with milk, origins, intensities… All that remains is to place it nicely on a wooden board, accompany it with some fruits and jams and Unintentionally, you already have what Instagram and TikTok call cheeseboard ready, which is very successful.
No cheese shop nearby or time to go because the guests are already arriving? The offer in supermarkets is becoming more and more interesting, so it won’t be difficult to find some good cheeses here. Another easy and very successful option is a brie-type cheese, baked for a few minutes, bread and sticks nearby and an impromptu fondue ready on the table.
If we talk about sausages, beyond the obvious (ham, loin, cecina… the best we can find and buy), there are a couple of low-cost proposals that can work very well and are prepared in no time.
We have been able to taste the first one recently and we intend to copy it as soon as there is an opportunity: fuet steak tartare served on croissants that are made at Casa Quadrat, Tarragona. The sweet-salty one works well and this is no exception, with the original point of turning the Catalan sausage into this dish that is so popular in restaurants. It is enough to chop it very finely, add spring onion, piparra and the classic Tabasco-based dressing, Perrins sauce, egg yolk, oil, mustard…
Along the same lines, Xesc Reina himself -great teacher and reference of the ensaimadas- gave us his approval in relation to another idea (or so we have always believed). It is about buying a good sobrassada, small ensaimadas, opening them, filling them and passing them through the iron. We will have a crunchy and delicious bite.
After making sure that, in reality, no one is going to bring pizza, it is time to bet on one of those hot and easy appetizers that we like so much: coke with things. Specifically, the ones we have in the fridge or find in the supermarket. Tomatoes, cheeses, zucchini, vegetables… almost everything goes well.
It is true that making the dough is not much of a mystery, but if things are about improvising and taking shortcuts, a pre-cooked dough (puff pastry, empanada…) will do. Stretched, with a little oil and the ingredients that we want, it will be ready in less than 25 minutes in the oven. All that remains is to cut it into individual portions for each one to serve.
