TAPAS - 3 WAYS

- METHOD -

FOR THE ARANCINI:

Heat a drizzle of olive oil and the butter in a large saucepan over medium. Then add onion and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Season to taste with Cape Herb & Spice Spicy Chip Shaker.

Add the rice and saffron and toast lightly until some of the grains turn translucent. Then pour in the wine and cook until absorbed. Ladle in warm stock about 1 cup at a time and cook, stirring often, until liquid is absorbed, and then add another ladleful.

Repeat until the rice is cooked but retains a little toothsome bite.

Stir in Parmesan, lemon zest and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning with Cape Herb & Spice Spicy Chip Shaker.

Spread risotto onto a clean baking tray, cover with cling film and refrigerate for a few hours until firm or overnight. When firm, scoop and roll into little balls. Press a chunk of mozzarella into each centre. Pinch and close up the arancini encasing the cheese. Freeze for 10 minutes.

Place panko, flour and eggs in three little bowls. Season the flour with the Cape Herb & Spice Spicy Chip Shaker.  Working one at a time, dredge balls in flour, shaking off excess. Transfer to bowl with egg and turn to coat. Coat with panko and then transfer to a baking tray. Chill arancini while you heat the oil. Heat a good few cm of neutral oil to 180˚C.

Carefully lower a few arancini into the oil with a slotted spoon and fry until deeply golden brown. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Repeat with remaining balls.

Warm up tomato sauce and season with Cape Herb & Spice Spicy Chip Shaker.

Serve arancini hot and crispy alongside the sauce for plenty of dipping.

 

FOR THE BAKED FETA WITH GARLIC, OLIVES & TOMATOES (Serves 4-6; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

2 x large blocks of high quality feta cheese

200g cherry / mini rosa tomatoes, sliced in half

100g green olives

100g black olives

½ red onion, sliced into petals

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Handful rosemary sprigs, leaves removed

4 tsp Cape Herb & Spice Sprinkle Veggie Seasoning

4 large pita breads, cut into 6

2 tsp Cape Herb & Spice Sprinkle Veggie Seasoning

Olive oil, for cooking

Method:

Preheat oven to 180˚C.

Using two small tapas roasting dishes, place the feta in the centre of each one. Surround the feta with the tomatoes, olives, onion, garlic and rosemary leaves. Drizzle everything well with olive oil and season generously with Cape Herb and Spice Sprinkle Veggie Seasoning.

Place in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes until the feta is soft and the tomatoes are just falling apart.

At the same time, drizzle the pita bread triangles with olive oil.

Season well with Cape Herb and Spice Sprinkle Veggie Seasoning and roast alongside the feta dishes until golden brown and crisp. Serve the two straight out of the oven and scoop generous mounds of baked feta onto the crispy pitas.

 

FOR THE PATATAS BRAVAS (Serves 4; Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook time: 20 minutes)

Ingredients for the Potatoes:

1 kg medium potatoes, peeled and cut in bite sized chunks

1 head garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled

1-2 tsp Cape Herb & Spice Piri-Piri

Sauce:

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tsp Cape Herb & Spice Smoked Paprika

1-2 tsp Cape Herb & Spice Piri-Piri

Olive oil, for cooking

Homemade or high quality mayonnaise / aioli, to serve

Method:

Preheat oven to 220˚C with the fan on.

Place potatoes and garlic cloves in a roasting dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with Cape Herb & Spice Piri-Piri and toss to coat.

Roast for ± 20 minutes, tossing half way through, until well browned all over. While the potatoes are roasting, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a small pot. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the vinegar, Cape Herb & Spice Smoked Paprika and Piri-Piri.

Simmer until slightly thickened.

Blitz with a stick blender until smooth and set aside for serving.

When the potatoes are fresh out of the oven, drizzle them with the spicy smoky tomato sauce. Dollop little mounds of aioli all over and serve straight away!

 

Recipe concept, photography and video by Bianca Davies: @beeblegum on Instagram | http://thesecretlifeofbee.co.za/