7 No-Cook Tapas Ideas You Can Put Together in 15 Minutes

It's nine o'clock, the doorbell rings and your fridge looks like a movie set. Breathe: the best no-cook tapas aren't a plan B, they're pure tradition.

Here are seven easy, quick tapas, with the real time each one takes to put together.

Quality Matters

When there's no fire, there's nothing to hide behind: the recipe is the ingredient. A quality Cantabrian anchovy or a well-cured ham does 90% of the work. You bring the assembly and a good extra virgin olive oil, the common thread running through all of these tapas.

Classic Gilda

The queen of Basque pintxos is typical of the bars of San Sebastián, where it's ordered at the counter alongside a txakoli or a vermouth. Skewer an olive, a piece of piparra pepper and a folded anchovy, then repeat. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. That balance of salty, tangy and spicy is what makes it addictive. And if you don't feel like skewering, ready-made anchovy gildas exist, ready to open and serve.

Ibérico Sobrasada Toast with Honey

Sobrasada is a cured, spreadable sausage typical of Mallorca that needs no heat to shine. Spread it on crusty bread or rustic breadsticks and add a drizzle of honey. Sweet, spicy and rich all at once: the trio that never fails. A little freshly ground black pepper brings it out, and if you're after something more refined, choose one made from acorn-fed Ibérico pork.

Tomato Bread with Ibérico Ham

Grate a ripe tomato, mix it with salt and oil and spread it over the bread; if you like, rub the slice with half a garlic clove first. The ham slices go on last. Master's tip: take the ham out of the fridge 15 minutes beforehand. When the fat glistens, the flavour wakes up. And make sure it's sliced very thin: a nearly transparent slice melts in your mouth.

Potato Chips with Pickled Mussels

A thick, quality potato chip, a mussel on top, a drop of its escabeche sauce and a touch of paprika. It's the neighbourhood-bar version of a gourmet bite, and it works just as well with cockles or baby scallops. Drain the tinned seafood well and assemble at the last moment so the chip keeps its crunch.

Cured Cheese, Marcona Almonds and Quince Paste

Cut wedges of cured sheep's cheese and pair them with quince paste and Marcona almonds. Sheep's cheese has a milky, toasty note that goes wonderfully with sweetness. Marcona almonds, softer and more buttery than regular almonds, are an easy luxury, especially fried with a hint of truffle. Take the cheese out of the fridge a while before serving.

Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Cheese and Bonito Tuna

The tapa that earns the most applause. Mix cream cheese with bonito tuna in oil, fill the drained peppers with a small spoon and refrigerate for five minutes. They look like something a chef made, and they're not. The ones from Lodosa, in Navarra, are among the best known for their slightly smoky sweetness. Pat them dry with paper towel before filling so they don't release water.

Tomato with Tuna Belly and Spring Onion

Slices of ripe tomato, tuna belly, very thinly sliced spring onion and flaky salt. Fresh, light and perfect for hot weather. Tuna belly is the juiciest, most tender part of the tuna, so don't flake it: lay it in whole slices over the tomato. If the tomato is good, it needs nothing else.

Less Fire, More Sobremesa

Tapas without cooking is a form of hospitality: a few things, well chosen and on time. If you stock the pantry well, the tapa practically makes itself.