24 Mediterranean Appetizers to Channel the Idyllic Coast
Eggplant, olives, and tomatoes shine in these dips, flatbreads, and finger foods.
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
There's no shortage of ways to start a Mediterranean meal — ways so delicious, actually, that you just might forget all about the main course. This collection of recipes for Mediterranean appetizers features the region's most celebrated ingredients, like tangy feta cheese, briny olives, and smoky eggplant, to name only a few. We've got flatbreads from pissaladière to pide, fried bites such as cheesy tirokroketes, and lots of dips and spreads for all manner of slathering. Whether you call them antipasti, tapas, or meze, savor the flavors of the Mediterranean with these tasty appetizers.
Spiced Carrots with Whipped Feta
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Emily Neighbors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
This dish is one of many dips chef Cheetie Kumar serves at her Mediterranean spot, Ajja, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Cumin, coriander, and Urfa pepper spice up caramelized carrots served over whipped feta with toasted sourdough for a colorful appetizer.
Saganaki Halloumi (Cypriot Fried Halloumi)
Halloumi cheese is fried in clarified butter, then brushed in a spiced honey and served with lemon yogurt, brandy-basted nectarines, and fresh tomatoes in this sweet and savory appetizer from Houston chef Christian Hernandez.
Roasted Tomato Pissaladière
Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
This traditional French flatbread is similar to a pizza or savory tart and hails from the south of France. Here, we top store-bought puff pastry with caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes, anchovies, and olives for this popular Provençal pastry.
Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves with Lamb, Rice, and Herbs)
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Stuffed grape leaves can be found across the Mediterranean, from Greek dolmades to Lebanese warak enab. These dolmas feature earthy grape leaves hugged around an ultra-savory lamb, herb, and rice filling.
Zeytinyağli Yaprak Sarmasi (Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Musa Dagdeviren shares these tangy, tender vegetarian rice-and-herb-stuffed grape leaves from the Turkish region of Mugla in The Turkish Cookbook. The brightness of the brined grape leaves is balanced by the rice filling, which is seasoned with fresh parsley and dill and slightly sweet cooked onions.
Pintxos Matrimonio
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Frozen puff pastry and tinned anchovies mean you can make these popular Spanish tapas in a flash. All you have to do is cut and bake off the puff pastry, chop a bit of parsley and garlic to stir together with olive oil, and assemble — about 25 minutes of active work time.
Fritto Misto with Calabrian Chile Aïoli
A festive mix of shrimp, calamari, anchovy-stuffed olives, and paper-thin lemon slices are dredged in a Pernod-spiked batter and fried to crispy, golden perfection. Jarred Calabrian chiles add a fruity heat to the creamy aïoli dipping sauce.
Asparagus Pide
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
Pide, which originated in Turkey, is a chewy, airy flatbread that welcomes a variety of fillings. This version is topped with melty, tangy cheese; Aleppo pepper–spiced asparagus; and fresh herbs.
Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)
Diana Chistruga
For this quick and easy Spanish tapa, shrimp is sautéed in garlicky, spicy olive oil and then tossed with dry sherry, lemon juice, and a handful of parsley. Serve it with crusty bread to sop up the sauce.
Grilled Artichokes with Herby Lemon Aïoli
"Artichokes are at their best — and easiest to prepare — when cooked quickly over a hot fire, particularly when served with luscious lemon aïoli made with the smoky juices and pulp of grilled lemons," says cookbook author Paula Disbrowe. "You can serve the creamy dressing on the side for dipping, but I prefer to toss it with the artichokes so it seeps into every crack and crevice."
Charred Eggplant with Burrata and Pomegranate-Walnut Relish
This elegant salad appetizer is an emphatic nod to the celebratory eggplant dishes of Turkey. Velvety eggplant is paired with a tart-yet-earthy relish of toasted walnuts, cilantro, and pomegranate seeds. Toasting the walnuts brings out their full nutty, slightly bitter character and plays well against the bright pomegranate seeds, which provide fresh bursts of juice and sweetness.
Tomato Bruschetta
Matt Taylor-Gross
This timeless Italian antipasto comes together in just minutes, making it easy on the host. It’s a great way to show off tomatoes when they're ripe and in season, whether from your garden, the farmers market, or the grocery.
Feta-Stuffed Marinated Olives
Fragrant za'atar, a spice blend ubiquitous in Israel and across the Middle East, flavors these briny, feta-stuffed olives with its notes of thyme, marjoram, sumac, and sesame seeds. Lemon, chile, and parsley cut through the rich, herbaceous flavors, adding a bright freshness to these easy, bite-size appetizers.
Spicy Lamb Meatballs with Green Goddess Dip
Inspired by merguez, a North African lamb sausage, these meatballs are loaded with cumin, garlic, and paprika for the ideal one-bite nosh. Harissa gives them a fiery heat that's tempered by the herby dip. You can also try preparing these make-ahead meatballs with ground beef or a plant-based meat alternative, such as Impossible.
Shakshuka Deviled Eggs
Shakshuka meets deviled eggs in this colorful snack. Instead of poaching eggs in a tomato-based sauce, you'll spoon a garlicky, slightly spicy tomato jam flavored with harissa and smoked paprika on top of deviled eggs. The yolks are pureed with mayo and plain yogurt for a creamy, perfectly balanced filling with a little bit of tang.
Brussels Sprouts Baba Ghanoush
After a whirl in the food processor, brussels sprouts and tahini come together to form a creamy dip in this riff on baba ghanoush. Chef Michael Solomonov serves it topped with more roasted brussels sprouts and hazelnuts alongside warm pita for dipping.
Tzatziki
Julia Hartbeck
While tzatziki is widely available at groceries in the U.S., the freshest, most delicious is homemade — and it could not be easier to prepare. Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and dill are combined to make this incredibly versatile sauce. Serve with toasted pita wedges as an appetizer, or pair with grilled lamb, chicken, fish, or vegetables.
Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)
Lebanese cooking instructor Jeanette Chawki's mildly spicy dip of roasted red bell peppers and toasted walnuts is thickened with finely ground crispy breadsticks. It's smooth, thick, and layered with flavor from pomegranate molasses and spicy pepper paste.
Sweet Potato and Feta Bourekas
Bourekas are crisp, savory little parcels filled with anything from vegetables and cheese to ground meat. Inspired by his grandmother's recipe, Zahav chef Michael Solomonov's version is stuffed with sweet potato, Bulgarian feta, dill, and olives.
Black Olive Tapenade with Figs and Mint
What makes Jacques Pépin's tapenade special is the clever mix of oil- and brine-cured olives and the surprise of sweet, fresh, and tangy notes from the dried figs, mint, and capers.
Michael Symon's Arancini
Arancini, the crispy-on-the-outside and cheesy-on-the-inside fried rice balls, are the ultimate cocktail hour snack. Star chef Michael Symon makes his risotto the day ahead for easy prep and then breads the mozzarella-filled balls just moments before frying to get that perfect, crunchy crust.
Berenjenas con Miel (Fried Eggplant with Honey)
Fried eggplant and honey is a classic combination served across Andalusia, especially in Córdoba. This version is the one José Andrés has on the menu at his Washington, D.C., restaurant Jaleo.
Tirokroketes (Greek Fried Goat Cheese Balls) with Honey
Club soda lightens the egg batter that coats the cheese, and a double-coating of panko crumbs amplifies the crunch with these fried cheese balls from Greece.
Garlicky Eggplant Salad with Tomato Sauce
This super-silky and intensely flavored Moroccan version of ratatouille is made from spiced or sweetened cooked vegetables that are mashed rather than cut into pieces. Like Italian antipasti, salads are often served as an appetizer in Morocco.
For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Food & Wine.
