Mediterranean Cooking

Premium Aperitifs with Cava

Light, fruity and citric, its crisp, fast bubbles are typical of a young wine. On the palate, notes of white flowers and fruits like green apple and pear. Ideal for pairing with all types of aperitivos, salads, light canapés or seafood.

20 minutes

Difficulty

2 people

Seafood

Can I suggest a perfect match for any appetiser and, of course, for your Christmas snacks?

Today I am sharing with you a few simple, attractive appetisers that are not overly fancy, but are very tasty. There are three keys to success with these aperitifs: making the toast, choosing good ingredients, and selecting the right drink to pair with them.

Lately I often tend to choose Cava to accompany my meals, as it combines perfectly with all types of food, even spicy dishes. Do you drink Cava only at Christmas, or on other occasions too?

Let's start with the recipes and the pairing. For these dishes, I suggest a Cava de Guarda that has been aged for at least 9 months: a fresh and fruity Cava that is light and citric. Ideal to accompany our aperitif today.

Ingredients

Brie toast with baked grapes

Toasts

Brie cheese

Red grapes

Salt

Pepper

a dash of Aove

a splash of Modena vinegar

Thyme

Smoked salmon toast

Toasts

Smoked salmon

gherkins

capers

chives

Aove

Anchovy toast

Toasts

Gildas

2 stuffed olives

1 anchovy

1 anchovy in vinegar

1 piparra pepper

Cockles with homemade escabeche sauce

150 ml white wine vinegar

50 ml sherry vinegar

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

pepper, salt and smoked paprika to taste

Instructions

Brie toast with baked grapes Place the grapes on a baking tray and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, a dash of AOVE, a splash of Modena vinegar, and thyme. Bake at 200oC for 15 minutes.

Cockles with homemade escabeche sauce For the sauce: 150 ml white wine vinegar, 50 ml sherry vinegar, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, pepper, salt and smoked paprika to taste. Simply mix all the ingredients together, and that's it.

@LasRecetasdeMJ

Maria José Martínez created the blog Las Recetas de MJ with her husband as a down-to-earth space where you can find many recipes and gastronomic experiences. In 2012 they made the jump to YouTube. Since then, more than a million people have subscribed to the channel, and the content has diversified and become more in-depth: recipes, restaurants, travel, culture, and series such as #LaMejorRecetaDeLaHistoria and #LaComidaEnElCine.

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