The end of the year is drawing near, and it’s time to make plans to wave goodbye to 2023 and welcome in 2024. If you are planning to have a celebration at home with a New Year’s Eve party or a special dinner, no doubt you will already be thinking ahead to the catering. Here are a few ideas to make the occasion feel super special this year.
Sharing dishes
If you want to serve a meal, then some tasty sharing dishes are a great way to make sure that there’s something for everyone and create a nice informal atmosphere. If you live in London or another big city, you may be fortunate enough to have access to a Spanish deli to track down some special ingredients such as Iberico Bellota ham and artisan honey.
This will give you the opportunity to put together some classic Spanish tapas dishes: sure to be a crowd pleaser! Recreate those magical Mediterranean vibes no matter how dark and wet it may be outside.
Popular tapas staples include croquetas de jamón, which are a blend of eggs, ground ham and butter, lightly breaded and fried. There are lots of different variations, such as adding a lemon mayonnaise sauce or grating some Manchego cheese to serve. You may wish to flavour them with sweet smoked paprika and chopped parsley.
Another great sharing dish that is super simple to make is chorizo and chicken tapas. It’s made with mashed potato with soft chorizo, eggs and chopped parsley to prepare breaded cakes. These are served with fried chicken in a delicious smoked paprika and oregano dressing.
Party nibbles
If you are having a cocktail party or just a few friends over to share a bottle of fizz, then you will want some finger food to accompany the drinks.
You can’t go wrong with some potato wedges that are sure to be a crowd pleaser. For an extra special twist, make some Spanish-style patatas bravas. These are potato wedges baked or fried in olive oil and served with a smoky bravas sauce. They are the perfect accompaniment to light fruity wines or cocktails.
Bravas sauce is a spicy salsa that is made with a simple combination of olive oil, smoked paprika, and tomato paste. You can buy ready-made versions or make your own, which gives you the opportunity to tweak the ingredients to your taste. You can also add some aioli if you wish, which is a creamy garlic sauce.
When the potato wedges are crisp and browned, serve with a generous drizzling of sauce.
Padron pepper and chorizo skewers are another popular party snack that are perfect for serving with New Year’s Eve drinks. Simply thread slices of pepper and chorizo onto skewers and fry for a couple of minutes until they are charred on both sides. Drizzle with honey, salt, and smoked paprika to serve.