Long before the internet fell in love with everything charcuterie and grazing board there were Spanish tapas: savory morsels for nibbling on with drinks. These bite-size appetizers vary widely throughout Spain, from chips or olives that come free with a beer to spreads designed to last for a while as friends talk, lounge and snack. For this easy board, we put together a variety of tapas-inspired elements, including simple Catalan pan con tomate — charred olive oil toasts topped with savory fresh tomato. It makes a gorgeous board you can quickly pull together and set out before friends come over since all the elements are best at room temperature.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- Several types of Spanish olives, such as Manzanilla, Gordal or Arbequina
- 4 cups olive oil potato chips
- 1 medium wedge (about 6 ounces) manchego cheese
- 1 log (about 8 ounces) Spanish-style dry cured chorizo, casing removed, thinly sliced
- Several types of Spanish-style tinned seafood, such as anchovy fillets in olive oil, mussels in escabeche, cockles in brine or mackerel in olive oil
- Pan con Tomate, recipe follows
- 2 very ripe large beefsteak tomatoes
- Kosher salt
- 1 loaf ciabatta bread
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 garlic clove, halved
Instructions
- Put the olives in one or more small bowls and place them on a large serving board. Divide the chips between two bowls and place one on the board and one near the board.
- Place the manchego on the board and thinly slice half of the wedge, from right to left, then fan out the slices to create visual interest. Arrange the sliced chorizo in a fanned out, swirling line on another area of the board.
- Open up the tins of seafood, pulling the tops off but still leaving them attached at one end. Place them across the board or grouped together.
- Fill in any gaps on the board with clusters of the Pan con Tomate. Add small forks or serving utensils to the board so guests can help themselves.
- Adjust an oven rack so it’s 4 to 6 inches from the broiler, depending on how hot your broiler gets, and preheat the broiler.
- Press the end of a tomato against the largest holes of a box grater set inside a bowl. Rub the tomato back and forth to grate the flesh into the bowl. The skin will remain in your hand; discard it. Repeat with the remaining tomato. You should have about 1 cup tomato pulp. Season the pulp with salt.
- Cut the ciabatta lengthwise into 3/4-inch slices, setting aside the crusty ends for another use (like a tasty snack). Drizzle each slice with olive oil on the front and back; their surface should be mostly covered, so add more olive oil if necessary. Broil the bread, watching closely, until it’s golden brown all over and slightly charred around the edges, about 2 minutes. Flip the slices and broil again until the other side is golden brown all over and slightly charred around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven and firmly rub with the cut sides of the garlic so that little flecks are left behind to flavor the bread. Spoon the tomato pulp over the toast and drizzle with more olive oil. Cut each long slice crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 409 |
| Total Fat | 26 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Cholesterol | 33 mg |
| Sodium | 612 mg |