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.
These textures and tastes make avos the perfect tapas partners, as they pair easily with other flavours, hot or cold, and can be sliced, diced or smashed depending on the snack.
On our menu this year we’re serving patatas bravas (that’s spicy potatoes, to you and me) with avocado cream; avocado stuffed piquante peppers; paprika and garlic prawn skewers with avo; and ham or smoked chicken and avo croquettes.
We’re also dishing up tapas toast with avocado toppings, including, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated olives, anchovies, hardboiled egg, sardines and Manchego cheese – avo toast rebooted for 2022!
Both green and dark-skinned avos are perfect for all these appetisers. Remember that green-skinned avos remain green when ripe, while the dark-skinned avos turn purple-black when ready to eat. Even though avocados may vary in colour, shape and size, they are all a source of nutrients and can be included as part of a healthy eating plan.
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.
For further information and avo recipes, visit www.avocado.co.za , like us on Facebook @iloveavocadoSA and follow us on Instagram @iloveavossa
Ham & Avocado Croquettes
Makes 14
Although ham is the traditional filling for these croquettes, they can also be made with chicken. Leftover roast chicken will work, although smoked chicken is preferable for the delicious smokey 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.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 4 hours – preferably overnight
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) avocado or olive oil
- ½ small onion, very finely chopped
- 30 g butter
- 50 g (100 ml) cake flour
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk
- 140 g sliced smoked ham, diced (or smoked chicken)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) wholegrain mustard
- 1 small avocado
For the coating
- 2 large eggs
- 50 g (100 ml) cake flour
- 140 g (about 3 cups) fine dried breadcrumbs
- Sunflower oil, for deep frying
To serve
- Guacamole
- Tomato chilli jam
Method:
- To make the croquettes, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion until lightly coloured, about 3 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 5 minutes. Stir in the ham and mustard, season to taste.
- 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 4 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.
- 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.)
- 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 6 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.
