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Spain
Smooth, Sangria, and Espana

I didn’t have a choice in the team I support — I was born in Spain. Some of my best memories are watching football with family and friends, with a table full of tapas, cold beer and everyone convinced they know better than the coach.

Manuel Olveira

With Spanish cuisine, there’s a real respect for great produce and a belief that when the ingredients are good, you don’t need to overcomplicate them. My father is from Galicia, so I’ve always had a soft spot for seafood like Gambas al Ajillo, Galician octopus, or a really good seafood paella, any day.

Manuel Olveira, chef, La Loca Maria, La Panthera

Pan con Tomate

Pic Courtesy/Wikimedia

Ingredients
>> Sourdough bread, sliced
>> Tomato, grated
>> Cloves of fresh garlic
>> Extra virgin olive oil
>> Jamón Serrano (Spanish-style slow-aged ham), optional

Method
Toast some sourdough or any crusty bread, rub it with fresh garlic, spoon over grated tomatoes, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with a little sea salt and, if you can source it, top it with slices of Jamón Serrano. If not, it’s just as delicious on its own or with your favourite cured meat. Serve with chilled beer.

Calamari Fritos

Ingredients
>> Calamari rings
>> Flour
>> Lemon wedges
>> Garlic Mayo sauce

Method
Coat squid rings in seasoned flour, fry until golden and serve with lemon wedges and a quick garlic mayo.

Ham jam

The Spanish soccer team had 400lbs of Jamón Iberico (Iberico ham) delivered to their Chattanooga base as part of their training diet. They are also partial to Arroz Con Leche (rice pudding).

France
Vive le France

For the much-awaited France vs Spain face-off, let’s turn to the French tradition of l’apero: Drinks accompanied by small bites laid out before kick-off and shared through the evening. It is social, unfussy and avoids the need for a formal meal during the match.

Pic Courtesy/@equipedefrance

While emotions will run high during the match, don’t forget to savour your time with friends. French meals are almost always a slow affair. Even a simple meal is given time, with food served in courses and conversation treated as part of the experience.

Mansi Jasani, founder, The Cheese Collective

The perfect apero board

>>Cheese: Your board does not need to be oversized or extravagant. Three to five cheeses are enough: a soft, bloomy rind such as Brie or Camembert, a firm and aged one such as Comte, and a blue cheese such as Roquefort.
AVAILABLE thecheesecollective.com; foodstories.shop

>>Breads and more: Build around them with sliced baguette or sourdough, sliced meats, a handful of nuts, olives, mustard, honey or fruit preserve.
AT Nature’s Basket; Go Fresh
AVAILABLE theobroma.in; masabakery.in; lafolie.in; 

>>Colour me French: To bring in the colours of the French tricolour, use blueberries, white marshmallows and strawberries or raspberries. It adds a playful World Cup element without making the board feel gimmicky.

Go desi

Globetrotting cheesemonger Mansi Jasani shares a last-minute Indo-French recipe for the pav-loving Mumbaikars

Brie Chilli-Cheese Toast

>> Spread green chutney on bread or pav, add sliced Brie, finely chopped green chilli and onion, and toast until the bread is crisp and the cheese has softened.

Mansi Jasani

>> Finish with a small spoonful of mango jam. Its fruitiness works beautifully with Brie’s creamy, mellow character while balancing the heat of the chilli and chutney.

Argentina
Dine like a GOAT

Pic Courtesy/@afaseleccion

I’m cheering the defending champions Argentina with a nod to Lionel Messi’s favourite herb-based condiment, Chimichurri. Dubbed the soul of Argentine cuisine, it pairs well with essentially anything on the menu. The football legend even has a chimichurri chip flavour named after him back home.

Janvi Bhagat

You’ll be surprised by how familiar Latin American cuisine will feel, despite belonging to a completely different culture. The rich milky, caramel notes in the desserts are reminiscent of traditional Indian sweets and therefore well suited to the Indian palate.

Janvi Bhagat, owner-chef, Limena Latin American Bakery

Tea time

The Argentine football team travels with their own medicinal South American tea, Yerba Mate, made from the Ilex paraguariensis plant. Late Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, and even Uruguayan icon Luis Suárez who otherwise prefers a quick bite on-field, can’t say no to Yerba Mate.
AVAILABLE matero.in; chadotea.in

Chimichurri Cheese Grill

PIC COURTESY/Janvi Bhagat

Ingredients

For Chimichurri
>> 1 small bunch of finely chopped parsley
>> 1 fresh red chilli/ 1 tsp chilli flakes
>> 3-4 finely chopped shallots (or sambhar onions)
>> 1 tsp white vinegar
>> 1 tsp oregano salt and pepper to taste

For cheese grill
>> 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
>> 1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
>> 1 tbsp cream cheese
>> 1 tbsp butter
>> 2 slices of bread (white/multigrain/sourdough)

Method

Mix together all the ingredients for the Chimichurri in a bowl. Add the grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese to the mixture.

Butter the slices of bread on both sides. On one side, spread the cream cheese and place the Chimichurri and cheese mixture on top. Cover this with the second slice of bread.
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In a pan, heat butter and place the sandwich in it. Keeping the heat on medium, grill the sandwich for three minutes before flipping it, and grilling the other side for another three minutes. The sandwich will turn golden brown which means it’s ready to serve.

Cut the sandwich diagonally, and serve with your choice of hot sauce.

Learn to say

>>La copa es nuestra: The cup is ours
>>Mira covo amanza Messi!: Look at Messi go!
>>Alguien puede llamar al árbitro?: Can someone dial the referee?

England 
For the love of Kane

My favourites this year are England. For many years, Harry Kane has been pushing the limits, and this year they can achieve it. The British culinary tradition is poles apart from the French and Italian traditions.

Pic Courtesy/@england

They have their own food culture, especially when it comes to football. Shepherd’s Pie is a pub classic. I’d recommend replacing the mash with crisps, and a good stout to go with it. You need heavy sustenance on match days.

Chef Harsh Dixit, F&B entrepreneur

Shepherd’s Crisps

Shepherd’s Pie and Bruschetta Cheddar  Pic Courtesy/Harsh Dixit

INGREDIENTS
>> Ground meat of choice
>> Onion
>> Celery
>> Carrots
>> 3 to 4 pods of garlic
>> 1 tbsp tomato paste
>> Bay leaf, rosemary, or thyme (as available)
>> Black peppercorns
>> Worcestershire sauce
>> Chicken or meat stock
>> English cheddar cheese
>> Pickles
>> 1 packet of chips

Harsh Dixit

METHOD

Sautee the meat in a thick bottom pan with the holy trinity of onion, celery and carrots. Add a couple of pods of garlic, tomato paste, herbs at hand, a few black peppercorns, and a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce. Top it off with some stock and slow cook till the mix reduces to a thick consistency. Season with salt to taste. Open the bag of chips, spoon over the cooked minced meat, scatter it around, grated cheese, pickles, and green onions to garnish. Serve with cold beer.

Sing along

>>Wonderwall by Oasis
>>Three Lions by David Baddiel, Frank Skinner, and The Lightning Seeds
>>Hey Jude by The Beatles