One
of
the
easiest
and
most
appetizing
tapas
to
produce
in
a
busy
restaurant
or
bar
is
a
banderilla,
an
assortment
of
cold
tidbits
on
a
small
skewer
or
toothpick.
Banderillas
can
be
assembled
entirely
ahead,
and
they
hold
up
well.
Preserved foods such as olives, anchovies,
marinated artichokes, cocktail onions
and roasted peppers are good prospects
for banderillas, which typically include
some salty or pickled elements to encourage
customers to have another drink. When
thoughtfully made, banderillas are colorful
and eye appealing and deliver an inviting
contrast of textures and flavors.
“The trick when eating banderillas
is to put everything that is on the toothpick
in your mouth at once (it is usually not
as much as it appears to be) so that as
you chew the taste of each ingredient
comes forth and merges with the rest,” writes
Penelope Casas, author of Tapas:
The Little Dishes of Spain.
Here are some ingredients to consider
for improvising banderillas. Limit each
skewer to four or five ingredients, and
keep each one small so diners can follow
Casas’s advice. Placing a dab of
mayonnaise on the beef or brushing the
banderillas with a little vinaigrette
makes the results particularly flavorful.
