
Gambas al ajillo, Spanish garlic shrimp
Gambas al ajillo: shrimp cooked in extra virgin olive oil with garlic and chilli, ready in minutes. Spain's most famous tapa, served with bread to mop up the oil.
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Gambas al ajillo: shrimp cooked in extra virgin olive oil with garlic and chilli, ready in minutes. Spain's most famous tapa, served with bread to mop up the oil.

Spanish ensaladilla rusa with potatoes, carrot, tuna, eggs and mayonnaise: a creamy cold salad, a classic summer tapa you can make ahead.

Pisto manchego: green and red bell peppers, zucchini, onion and tomato slowly stewed in a pan, a flavour-packed Spanish side from La Mancha. Great warm, cold or with an egg.

Salmorejo from Córdoba: a thick, velvety cold Spanish cream of tomato, bread and extra virgin olive oil, served with hard-boiled egg and jamón. No-cook, perfect for summer.

A summer farro salad with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, olives and basil: a fresh, light one-dish meal you can make ahead, perfect for lunches, the beach and picnics.

Pasta alla checca: a no-cook sauce of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, garlic and oil that coats the pasta without any cooking. The fresh, fast Roman summer first course.

Classic peperonata with bell peppers, onion and tomato slowly cooked in oil: a soft, tasty summer side, great warm or cold and even better the next day.

Pan bagnat, the traditional sandwich from Nice: a round roll rubbed with garlic and oil, filled with tuna, anchovies, eggs, tomatoes, olives and basil. Pressed and served cold.

Tomato tarte fine: puff pastry spread with mustard, covered with sliced tomatoes and scented with herbs of Provence. A thin, crisp savory tart, perfect in summer.

Provençal soupe au pistou: a summer soup of vegetables, beans and pasta, finished at the last minute with pistou made of basil, garlic and oil. The great summer dish of the South of France.

The real Niçoise salad (salade niçoise): tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, anchovies and Niçoise olives with raw vegetables and basil. No potatoes, no green beans, as tradition demands.

Chicken souvlaki: bite-sized pieces marinated in yogurt, lemon, garlic and oregano, then skewered and grilled. Tender, fragrant Greek skewers, perfect in summer with tzatziki.