The humble bocadillo is the ultimate minimalist Spanish sandwich. Just a baguette filled with some meat, cheese, omelette or tuna. The Spanish do not add lettuce, pickles, onions, mustard or mayonnaise to their bocadillo. Sometimes the bread is moistened by rubbing the cut side of a tomato onto the bread, or drizzling some olive oil – or both. But mostly it’s just bread and one filling. I find good quality jamon is flavoursome and moist enough to enjoy on its own. If you’re lucky enough to be in Spain you could make this sandwich with a different type of jamon every day. Proscuitto or parma ham would make good substitutes. If you’re feeling nervous that your sandwich will be too dry, serve with some good extra virgin olive oil on the side. But please try it without the oil first. 1/2 – 1/3 baguette 2 – 4 slices jamon Break open baguette. Layer with jamon, close up and enjoy.
This is one of those effortless starters that feels a little bit special but can be made in a flash from ingredients from your supermarket. If you don’t have access to capers, chopped chives or parsley would work well. It’s more about getting some visual greenery and freshness. Baguettes are lovely for crostini but I’ve also used crackers or larger slices of sourdough cut into small, bite sized pieces. 8 thin slices baguette 100g (3 oz) smoked salmon, sliced sour cream capers lemon cheeks, to serve. Toast baguette slices lightly on one side. Layer each round with smoked salmon, top with a dollup of sour cream and sprinkle with a few capers and lots of freshly ground black pepper.