Rosie Mackean’s make-ahead Spanish-inspired dinner party menu

Rosie’s Spanish-inspired dinner party menu

Marinated peppers with gordal olives and anchovies
I love the Spanish technique of marinating roasted peppers in garlic and vinegar to serve as a nibble. Here they come with fried padrón peppers, gordal  olives and excellent anchovies. It’s an absolute showstopper starter for minimal effort.

Roasted hake with salsa verde and clams
The ‘salsa verde’ here is not the well-known Italian one. Inspired by a Basque classic, it actually refers to a simple pan sauce turned green by lots of fresh parsley – the perfect bright accompaniment to some creamy, tender hake. Baking fish in the oven is ideal for a dinner party – much simpler than pan frying it. The clams elevate the sauce with sweetness and depth of flavour, so don’t leave them out. Serve with rice, boiled potatoes or olive oil mash. The fish and its sauce are doing the talking, so let them.

Torrijas with orange zest and custard
A kind of french toast/breadand-butter pudding hybrid that should grace more dinner tables, torrijas are utterly scrumptious. Brioche is soaked in a milky  infusion, dipped in egg, then shallow fried until golden and crisp. Coated in a fragrant orange and cinnamon sugar and served in a luscious sea of custard, this is an indulgent and delightful pud that will get your guests onside.

How to prepare ahead

I believe you should be doing minimal cooking while your friends are in your home. Restaurant chefs prep or cook nearly everything before service to make things easier, and so should you. Here’s a plan so you can get ahead and have a good time with your guests and minimal stress.

Next: see Rosie’s retro-themed dinner party menu, including a delicious twist on ham, egg and chips and a showstopping cheesecake.