Spanish Aperitif: How to Host a Tapas Night at Home

A tapas night is a finger-food dinner with a clear direction: Spain. Small plates arriving continuously, a board of Iberian charcuterie in the middle and drinks to match. Here is how to do it, from the shopping list to the running order.

The Spanish charcuterie you need

Four pieces are enough to cover the whole range:

• Serrano ham TSG: thinly sliced for pan con tomate, or as a taco piece to carve yourself. The 500 g taco is the right size for 6 to 8 people.
• PGI chorizo, mild and spicy: raw in slices, or cooked. Both versions are in the PGI chorizo collection.
• Iberian lomo: the cured pork loin, the most refined piece. Lomo Reserva aged 9 months.
• Catalan fuet: the thin sausage from Catalonia, for nibbling. Set of 2 fuets.

Everything comes together in the Box Ibérique (chorizo, lomo, a quarter of Serrano, two fuets), designed for 6 to 8 people. To understand what you are serving: Serrano, Ibérico, Bellota: the differences and what is Catalan fuet.

Quantities

For a tapas night that replaces dinner: 120 to 150 g of charcuterie per person, 6 to 8 tapas per person (counting 2 to 3 pieces per tapa) and half a loaf. For 10 people, see our shopping list for an aperitif for 10.

Eight tapas, from simplest to most cooked

1. Pan con tomate with Serrano: toasted bread, rubbed tomato, garlic, olive oil, salt.
2. Tabla ibérica: the charcuterie board with Manchego, olives and almonds.
3. Chorizo al vino: slices of spicy chorizo, seared and deglazed with red wine.
4. Patatas bravas: roasted potatoes, spicy tomato sauce, aioli.
5. Tortilla de patatas with diced mild chorizo.
6. Croquetas de jamón: thick béchamel with Serrano, breaded.
7. Dátiles con lomo: cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in lomo, baked.
8. Pimientos del piquillo stuffed with cream cheese and chorizo.

Ten more recipes in 10 easy tapas with Spanish charcuterie, and how to choose between mild and spicy in mild or spicy chorizo.

Drinks

A fruity Spanish red (young Tempranillo), a dry white (Verdejo, Albariño), a lager, a tinto de verano in summer and, for the curious, a well-chilled fino sherry with the Serrano. Alcohol-free: a mosto (grape juice) or a lime lemonade.

How a tapas night runs

• 7 days before: order the charcuterie (delivered within 24 to 48 hours, it waits in the fridge).
• 1 day before: béchamel for the croquetas, stuffed dates, bravas sauce.
• 2 hours before: take out the charcuterie, build the tabla, toast the bread.
• Start: serve the tabla and the pan con tomate, then the hot tapas in waves every 20 minutes. Three waves make an evening.

Frequently asked questions

Which Spanish charcuterie for tapas?
Serrano, PGI chorizo, lomo and fuet. For a special occasion, jamón Bellota.

How many tapas per person?
6 to 8 if it is the meal, 3 to 4 for a simple aperitif.

Does the chorizo need cooking?
No, it is a ready-to-eat dry-cured chorizo. Cooked, it develops other aromas: both have their place.

All our Spanish charcuterie, and more ideas in finger-food dinner, 25 easy ideas.