Eurovision party food

snowgo

We do a family buffet party every year for Eurovision. We don't eat meat, although as you'll see from the dishes there's fish included. I always do vegetarian option though. It's all loosely European themed. I know you wanted ideas for tapas, but perhaps the starter & sides will give you some ideas.

Aperitif/starter:
Russia/Sweden: Blinis (can buy them in tesco) toasted & topped with smoke salmon & gravadlax (or cream/cottage cheese topping for vegetarian option)
Ireland: An Irish cream liqueur to get everyone in the mood

Mains: one or more of the following depending on how many I'm catering for
Spain: Paella or Prawns piri piri with patatas bravas (BBC Good Food site has an easy and inexpensive paella recipe & others)
Italy: Mushroom risotto(vegetarian option - another reasonably cheap dish, although needs proper risotto rice) and/or pizza slices.
Ukraine: Vegetarian Kievs (bit of license there, but my family get it).

Sides:
Greece: Greek salad with feta cheese & olives
France: Garlic bread, French stick &/or French cheese

Deserts:
Germany: Black Forest Gateau
(or as an alternative I make cup cakes, cover them with butter icing & my daughter will spend the afternoon using sprinkles & coloured icing to decorate a different flag on each one. See the BBC eurovision site, which has a party food section, and shows an example cupcake with GB flag.)

Drinks:
A bottle of French/Spanish/Italian/German wine, continental beers and, of course, the rest of the Irish Cream Liqueur

We also may have Belgium chocolate and/or a large box of maltesers (to open during the Malta song - or in their honour if they don't make it through the semi final) for guzzling whilst we're watching the programme. I bought a cheap set of European flags on ebay one year which we use to decorate the table & room.

This sounds like a lot, so I usually choose from these, depending on how many I'm catering for. And left overs are eaten up the following day.

I learned the hard way the benefit of having food ready in plenty of time before the Eurovision programme actually starts, even if it's a buffet, so that those who want to watch the TV prog can do it without disruption. We usually split into two rooms after eating - the Eurovision affectionados & those watching something on the other side. But seems that everyone enjoys the food even if they aren't into Eurovision.