International Finger Food

Stick it to ’em

Take a traditional Italian combination and give it new life by threading balls of rockmelon, folded pieces of prosciutto and baby bocconcini onto wooden skewers. For a meaty variety, marinate small cubes of chicken in kecap manis, finely chopped red chilli, ginger and garlic and a little lemon juice, then thread onto wooden skewers, cook on the barbecue and drizzle with a little more kecap manis. Serve with store-bought satay sauce. Also delicious are mouth-sized chunks of grilled Mediterranean vegetables – eggplant, zucchini, capsicum, mushroom – skewered with cubes of fried halloumi.

Dips and sips

Try adding a little ground cumin, finely chopped fresh chilli, chopped coriander and lemon juice to chunky avocado for an Indian-flavoured dip, and serve with naan. Or think Middle Eastern with kiz güzeli, made from pureed cooked beetroot, plain yoghurt and a little cumin and salt, then drizzled with olive oil. Perfect with fresh hot pide. For a liquid snack with bite, fill shot glasses with chilled Spanish gazpacho soup. Or add a fresh oyster to each glass, and top with a little light soy, rice wine vinegar and a dollop of finely shredded spring onion.

Meat and greet

Whip up a batch of Mexican empanadas with a filling of potato, beef mince, onion, hard-boiled eggs, pitted green olives, garlic and cumin, shrouded in shortcrust pastry. Up the spice ante with chicken wings marinated in store-bought piri piri sauce (or you can make your own). Bake until cooked, and serve with mayonnaise combined with a little lemon juice and chopped coriander. Or make the perfect mini burger with a combination of cooked sliced chorizo, caramelised onions and grilled haloumi – Spain, meet the Middle East.

Fry and fry again

Fritters are delicious in any language: go subcontinental with a roasted spiced cauliflower version served with a yoghurt and mint sauce, or back to Europe with a combination of grated zucchini and feta. Thai fish cakes are simple and, served with a simple cucumber dipping sauce, will be absolutely favourites. Sticking with the seafood, salt cod croquettes are a specialty of Spain and Portugal: simply a combination of the cod (known as bacalao), mashed potato, garlic, lemon and cream, which is then deep fried. Delish, as the Portuguese say. And don’t forget Italian arancini: made with leftover risotto, rolled into balls, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fried till golden.

A mixed bag

A Spanish-flavoured frittata – think chorizo, red capsicum, sliced potato and red onion – cut into squares and served with a dollop of tomato chutney will be a crowd-pleaser. As will Russia’s classic blinis (small pancakes) topped with a piece of smoked salmon and a smear of sour cream mixed with a little horseradish. Make a batch of home-made falafel and serve with a Moroccan-inspired sauce made from plain yoghurt, chopped mint, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch each of white sugar and salt.

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