Half-time Tapas: Prawns with Cheese served with Majorcan Tomato Bread

Tapas makes great lap-food, and these two are perfect partners. The Spanish names for these two recipes are: gambas de queso and pamboli (a Majorcan speciality). The advance preparation is quite simple, and the whole thing can be ready in a flash at half-time

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Adapted from Delia’s How to Cheat at Cooking

Method

First bake the bread for about 20 minutes until crisp and golden. Now skin the tomatoes (1 minute in boiling water and the skin will slip off easily), then cut them into quarters. Place them in a mini chopper together with the garlic, olive oil and some seasoning, and simply whizz to a purée (a stick blender will do this easily, too). Now empty it into a sieve set over a bowl and let the excess liquid drain off for the duration of the first half.

Then, for the prawns: drain off any liquid and put them into a medium-sized bowl. Crush the jalapeno peppers through a garlic crusher, followed by the garlic, and toss them together with the prawns, lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning.

Next arrange the drained grilled peppers in a shallow heatproof dish and pile the prawns on top. Cut the cheese into cubes, then whizz in the mini chopper to ‘grate’ it, and sprinkle it over the prawns. Cover with clingfilm and pop it in the fridge until you need it. About half an hour into the match (perhaps while there’s a goal kick or similar) turn the grill onto its highest setting.

At half-time pop the prawns under the grill (10cm from the heat) until the cheese is melted and bubbling and beginning to turn golden on top – about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, split the baguette lengthways, spread the tomato pulp on, season and top with the Paleta Ibérico and some basil leaves. Serve the grilled prawns on warm plates with the bread on one side.

Nutrition 665kcals/40.7g carbohydrate/8.5g sugars/34.1g fat/16.5g saturated fat/5.8g salt per serving