Bonjour lecteurs! Do you like Spanish food? Like in France, it’s a celebration featuring good company and yummy food. Start with olives, slices of jamón, wedges of Manchego and pan con tomate while the hot food is still in the kitchen. Then come croquetas, prawns, tortilla or grilled peppers, followed later by rice, fish or meat. Here are the best Spanish Food & Cava Pairings for you to try.
Spanish Food Pairings for a Mediterranean-Style Dinner
The cold food is worth doing properly because it buys time later. Prepare Jamón in thin slices, Manchego cheese and ripe tomato, olive oil and salt, et voilà!
I also like adding a bit of bread and olive oil on the side. That’s the Frenchie lady in me.
As for hot starters, my favourites are tortilla and croquetas. Tortilla española is perfectly good warm or at room temperature. So you can cook it earlier. Croquetas need more last-minute attention. Fry them in batches and send each batch straight to the table.
For a Spanish menu, cava fits comfortably into this part of the evening. The selection at Punin Wine brings together Spanish sparkling wines that can accompany aperitifs, seafood and later courses. Cava is produced by the traditional method, with the second fermentation taking place inside the bottle. It’s truly la crème de la crème. It’s a bit like our French champagne.
A Few Pairings To Start With
Spanish tapas, seafood and sparkling wine make la combinaison parfaite for a great meal.
One bottle can stay on the table through several dishes. Salt, olive oil, garlic and fried coatings appear repeatedly, while seafood adds sweetness. You can enjoy older Cava with bigger dishes like rice and roasted meat.
Here are some idées to get you started.
| Food | Cava style | What to expect |
| Jamón and Manchego | Brut | Enough acidity for fat and salt |
| Garlic prawns | Brut Nature | Dry and fresh beside garlic and olive oil |
| Croquetas | Brut | Cuts through the fried coating and creamy centre |
| Seafood paella | Brut or Reserva | Freshness for shellfish, more body for the rice |
| Roast chicken with peppers | Reserva | More depth beside roasted flavours |
| Almond cake | Semi Seco | Better suited to a sweeter finish |
Garlic, Prawns & Hot Olive Oil
Gambas al ajillo deserve to arrive hot. Cook some garlic in olive oil gently. You then add the chilli according to your taste. A dry sparkling wine keeps its freshness beside the oil and doesn’t cover the sweetness of the prawns.
You can also enjoy it with some mussels. Steam them with white wine, garlic and parsley, or prepare a colder mussel salad earlier in the day.
Prepare Tapas in Advance
Spanish food has plenty of dishes that you can prepare in advance and keep in the fridge.
- tortilla española, cooked earlier and sliced before serving
- roasted peppers dressed with olive oil and garlic
- marinated olives
- Manchego cut into wedges or cubes
- jamón arranged shortly before guests arrive
- croqueta filling prepared and chilled
- tomato mixture ready for pan con tomate
- almonds toasted and lightly salted
Keep fried food off that list until the last moment. Croquetas lose their crisp coating if they sit too long, and calamari is much better straight from the pan. Cold tapas can wait. Fried tapas can’t. I have some of the best Spanish food in La Costa Daurada.
Give The Rice Enough Attention
Now if you prepare a Spanish feast, you must have paella. Sure, it requires more attention, but it’s the best!
Stir the rice so that it absorbs the liquids and add any topping you love. Personnellement, I prefer a meaty version.
You also need a pan big enough so that the rice cooks in a relatively thin layer.
If you cook a seafood paella, include prawns, mussels, squid or firm pieces of fish. Serve lemon on the side rather than squeezing it over the whole pan. Some guests will want it and others won’t.
Chicken, Pork & Lamb Off The Grill
Seafood may dominate Mediterranean menus, but Spanish cooking has no shortage of meat dishes. Chicken thighs with garlic and paprika, pork skewers, lamb chops or fresh sausages are delicious options. Add some onions and small potatoes to go on the grill, and it will be un succés!
There are so many Spanish recipes to try. For meats, select a Reserva Cava. It has toastier and more developed aromas than a young Cava de Guarda.
Desserts
Desserts usually have smaller portions. Crema catalana, almond cake, orange slices with cinnamon or a plate of fruit are des choix populaires after tapas and paella. Churros are a bit more of a treat.
Add a very dry sparkling wine to pair with your sweet dessert. Par exemple, a Semi Seco Cava would work perfectly for the occasion. Or you can serve the sparkling wine before dessert and bring out coffee afterwards.
What are your top 10 Spanish dishes? Whether you are planning a romantic dinner or you’re trying to recreate your last escapade to Madrid, there are so many options to try. Bon appétit...or should I say buen provecho?
