Tapas, appetisers, antipasti, meze, hors d’oeuvres. . . call them what you will, bite-sized snacks, continue to gain popularity around the world, including right here in South Africa, where they’re perfectly suited to our hot climate. In 2022, these fabulous finger foods are being given a mini makeover with the addition of the most versatile ingredient of all – avocados!
That’s right, the global appetiser trend that is known for its fusion of flavours and cultural influences, comes full circle this year as creators ‘add an avo’ to these moreish morsels, giving them a whole new look.
Maybe the fact that avo toast held its own as the Instagram foodie trend to follow for more than five years, accumulating nearly two million #avocadotoast posts in the process, had something to do with it.
After all, fingers of avo toast are scrumptious nibbles in their own right, right?
Fortunately, there’s no shortage of avos in South Africa, allowing us to easily jump on this trend too.
Both green and dark-skinned avos are available here almost all year round, and are equally versatile, delicious and nutritious!
The buttery, creamy green-skinned avo varieties, Fuerte, Edranol, Ryan, Reed and Pinkerton, are available from March until October, and the rich, nutty dark-skinned Hass, Maluma Hass and Lamb Hass, from March until November.
So, whether you’re plating up true Spanish tapas, Greek-style meze (to ‘taste’), Italian-inspired antipasti (‘starters’), hors d’oeuvres (‘appetisers’) with a French flair, or good old South African snacks, be sure to ‘add an avo’ to the mix.
Patatas Bravas (Spicy Potatoes) with Avocado Crème
Serves 8-10 as a starter/tapas
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
This is a classic tapas dish, usually served with a spicy tomato sauce. We are elevating it to superstar status with the addition of a delicious avocado crème to balance the fiery sauce. For a short cut, the home-made tomato sauce can be replaced with tomato chilli jam.
Ingredients:
For the sauce
45ml (3 tbsp) avocado or olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 x 410g can chopped tomatoes
15ml (1 tbsp) tomato purée
10ml (2 tsp) smoked paprika
1 chilli, deseeded and chopped
125ml (½ cup) red wine or sherry vinegar
Large pinch of brown sugar
Sea salt, to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
For the potatoes
900g potatoes, cut into small cubes
30ml (2 tbsp) avocado or olive oil
5ml (1 tsp) smoked paprika
15ml (1 tbsp) mixed dried herbs
For the avocado
2 avocados, halved and stoned
30ml (2 tbsp) avocado or olive oil
125ml (½ cup) water
Method:
1. For the potatoes; heat oven to 180°C. Pat the potatoes with kitchen paper to dry, then place into a roasting tin and toss with the oil and seasoning. Roast until crisp and golden, about 45-50 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
2. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion until soft and translucent, about five minutes. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, smoked paprika, chilli, vinegar, brown sugar and a grinding of sea salt. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, then lower to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes (Can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours).
3. About 10 minutes before the end of the potatoes’ cooking time, make the avocado crème. Whizz one avocado with the oil and the water until a smooth pourable consistency, adding a touch more water as necessary.
4. Transfer the potatoes to serving dishes and pour over the tomato sauce. Spoon over the extra diced avocado and garnish with chopped fresh parsley with the avocado crème on the side.
Ham & Avocado Croquettes
Makes 14
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 4 hours – preferably overnight
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Although ham is the traditional filling for these croquettes, it can also be made with chicken. Leftover roast chicken will work, although smoked chicken is preferable for the delicious smoky flavour.
These tapas are more labour-intensive than most other tapas recipes and require a number of steps, but the croquettes can be prepared well ahead of time and fried before serving.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp (15ml) avocado or olive oil
½ small onion, very finely chopped
30g butter
50g (100ml) cake flour
1 cup (250ml) milk
140g sliced smoked ham, diced (or smoked chicken)
1 tbsp (15ml) wholegrain mustard
1 small avocado
For the coating
2 large eggs
50g (100ml) cake flour
140g (about 3 cups) fine dried breadcrumbs
Sunflower oil, for deep frying
To serve
Guacamole
Tomato chilli jam
Method:
1. To make the croquettes, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion until lightly coloured, about three minutes. Add the butter to the onions, and once melted stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Gradually add the milk while stirring and cook over a low heat until thick and glossy, about five minutes. Stir in the ham and mustard; season to taste.
2. Transfer into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming. Leave to cool then chill, preferably overnight, or for at least four hours. The mixture needs to be very stiff to form the croquette’s shape. Before shaping the croquettes, peel and stone the avocado, and cut into small cubes. Gently mix avocado cubes into the béchamel ham mixture.
3. To shape the croquettes, take a heaped teaspoon of the mixture and, with wet hands, roll into 14 small oval shapes and set aside on a tray. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl; put the flour on a plate and half the breadcrumbs in a bowl. Roll each of the croquettes lightly in flour, then in egg before coating in breadcrumbs. Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Use the remaining breadcrumbs to top up the bowl halfway through the coating process. Chill for 30 minutes. (*See Cook’s Tip below.)
4. To fry the croquettes, fill a large saucepan one-third full of sunflower oil and heat to 180°C or heat the oil in an electric deep-fat fryer. Do not overheat and do not leave hot oil unattended. Using a metal slotted spoon, lower six croquettes into the oil and cook until golden brown, about 90 seconds. Transfer to a baking tray lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil and continue cooking the remaining croquettes.
Serve with guacamole and chilli jam for dipping.
Cook’s Tip:
You can freeze the croquettes at this stage for up to one week. To serve, fry from frozen.
