What to cook for the World Cup Final 🌍👨🏻‍🍳🏆⚽️

The World Cup final is here… and you know what that means - Flavours of the World Cup is coming to an end!

Over the last month, I’ve been cooking my way through every stage of the tournament, turning fixtures into fusion dishes as I go. I’ve honestly learnt so much, cooked loads of new things & had a whole lot of fun putting this series together.

YES, the very nature of it (so many games, last minute filming + editing etc) has been slightly chaotic, but the food really has been absolutely delicious. It’s safe to say some of what we’ve made will absolutely become recipes I’ll be returning to.

So ahead of the final tonight, I thought I’d pull together my ultimate Flavours of the World Cup Food Guide 🌍🏆⚽️

Whether you’re hosting a crowd, looking for something quick + easy for the heat, eating with friends, or want to cook something Argentinian or Spanish, here’s my top picks for the World Cup final…

You’ll find the recipes towards the end of today’s newsletter. But before that, let’s assess our menu options tonight…

If you’re reading this from the UK (to be honest anywhere, Europe is boiling and so is the US) this will apply to you this! Keep things light and easy with these recipes …

(chorizo sandwich with chimichurri-style sauce)

(a Spanish classic - my favourite cold tomato soup)

The recipes that surprised me the most, and honestly cannot wait to cook again!

This might honestly be the best thing I’ve cooked all tournament - absolutely SUBLIME 🤤

Brazilian style Moqueca stew with chewy Norwegian potato flatbreads - a serious match made in heaven.

Both of the below are best served DOUSED in chimichurri 😍

• Choripán (spicy sausage sandwich)

• Cauliflower Milanese

• Espinacas con Garbanzos

• Gazpacho

• Patatas Bravas

I’ve posted most of the recipes already (have a scroll down my feed), but you'll find the ones that haven’t yet appeared below 👇

(Made originally for Argentina vs Cape Verde - molho cru instead of chimichurri)

Choripán is one of Argentina’s most iconic street foods. The name literally combines “chori” (chorizo) and “pan” (bread), and it’s a staple at football matches and family barbecues across the country.

• 1 crusty baguette

• 6 chorizo-style sausages (plant-based)

• Tomato salad + mayo (to serve)

• 1 large garlic clove, minced

• 30g fresh parsley, leaves finely chopped

• 80ml extra virgin olive oil

• 2-3 tbsp red wine vinegar

• Pinch of chilli flakes / ½ red chilli, finely chopped

• Salt + pepper

Mix together all the chimichurri ingredients + set aside.

‘Butterfly’ the chorizo (slice down the middle of each sausage, but don’t fully chop in half). Warm a good splash of oil in a frying pan on medium high, then once hot, fry for 3-5 minutes on each side until browned.

I like to lightly toast my baguette before serving, then spread the base with mayo, top with the crispy sausages, spoon over chimichurri + a fresh tomato salad.

⭐ Dish Rating: 91/100

(made for Brazil vs Norway)

Moqueca is a rich Brazilian seafood stew made with coconut milk, tomatoes and peppers.

I swapped the fish for tofu and roasted butternut squash before pairing it with Lomper - soft Norwegian potato flatbreads that were perfect for scooping everything up 🥔

This might honestly be the best thing I’ve cooked all tournament.

• 1 butternut squash, peeled + finely chopped into 1cm cubes

• 1 brown onion, finely sliced

• 2 red / yellow peppers, finely sliced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• Small thing-sized knob ginger, minced

• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped (optional)

• 400g tin cherry tomatoes (or use 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped)

• 400ml coconut milk

• 240ml vegetable stock

• 300g extra firm tofu, slice into 0.5cm thick triangles

• 1-2 tsp vegan fish sauce

• Juice of 1 lime

• Small handful fresh coriander, to serve

• Olive (or coconut) oil, salt & pepper

• 1kg large floury potatoes, peeled + roughly chopped

• 150g plain flour (+ more if needed / for dusting)

• 100g rye flour

• 1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven (or use airfryer) to 180C fan. Season your peeled squash with a good pinch of salt, pepper + drizzle of olive oil. Roast the squash for around 15mins, shaking halfway, until browning + tender.

In a large casserole dish, warm a good glug of oil on medium-high. Once hot, add the onion + peppers with a good pinch of salt. Fry for 5 minutes until softened. Then add the garlic, ginger + chilli. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, then top in your tomatoes, coconut milk and stock. Bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to low.

Add the squash, stirring well, then carefully add the tofu. Season with fish sauce, lime juice, more salt + pepper. Pop a lid on, allowing the tofu to absorb all that flavour, basting carefully from time to time to cover in sauce, for around 10-15 minutes. Top up with a little more boiling water if needed.

For the lomper, boil your peeled potatoes until completely tender, then allow to steam dry. Mash the potatoes into a smooth-ish mix until well combined, then add the flours and salt to form a dough. Knead a little (3-5 minutes) to form a big ball. Tear off or cut approximately 2 tbsp balls (this will make plenty, so freeze any you don’t use). On a floured surface, roll into thin circles and cook in a dry frying pan on a medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side, brushing with oil to finish if you like.

⭐ Dish Rating: 97/100

(Made for Spain vs Belgium quarter final)

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Danh34stEie/?igsh=MTJjOXd6Mnp6dTFyaA==

For Spain, I took inspiration from Espinacas con Garbanzos - a classic Andalusian dish of spinach and chickpeas flavoured with garlic, cumin and smoked paprika. I had it in Sevilla and fell in love.

Belgium is famous for waffles, but rather than making a sweet version, I turned them savoury by pressing mashed potatoes and grated cheese in a waffle iron until crisp and golden, as a nod to Belgium’s world famous frites.

The crispy potato waffles were the perfect base for the smoky Spanish chickpeas.

• 1kg floury potatoes, roughly chopped

• 2-3 tbsp plain flour

• 100g grated cheese

• 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp water)

• Salt & pepper

• 2 slices (stale) bread

• Handful blanched almonds

• 3 garlic cloves

• 2-3 tbsp sherry vinegar

• 60ml tomato sauce

• 1 large shallot

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 200g chopped tomatoes / passata

• 500g jarred chickpeas

• 200g spinach

• Extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper

To make the waffles, boil the potatoes until completely soft, then allow to cool briefly. In a large mixing bowl, mash until smooth and season well with salt + pepper. Add the flour + flax egg, mixing well, then stir through the grated cheese + nutritional yeast. Preheat + oil your waffle iron, then press ¼ of the portion at a time, then cook for around 5 minutes on each side until crisp and golden.

For the chickpeas, add a good glug of oil to a pan on a medium-high heat. Fry the bread, almonds and garlic until golden for 2-3 minutes, then mash together (processor or pestle + mortar) with the vinegar into a thick but smooth-ish paste.

Warm another splash of oil on a medium heat, then add your shallot with a pinch of salt + fry for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, fry for a further minute, then add the spices + allow to infuse, stirring well for a further minute.

Add the tomatoes, then briefly wilt the spinach (gradually if you need to, or briefly soak in hot water), then add to the pan with the chickpeas + the bread mix. Bubble away on a medium-low heat for around 15 minutes until slightly reduced, loosening with a splash of water if needed. Season to taste with salt, pepper + a pinch of sugar.

Serve the chickpeas with the waffles if you like + enjoy!

⭐ Dish Rating: 84/100

And that’s that! 🏆

I can’t thank you enough for following along with Flavours of the World Cup. Whether you’ve watched every episode or cooked one of the recipes, it’s been one of the most enjoyable series I’ve done to date!

Let me know if you give any of these dishes an go, and I’ll see you soon.

Alfie x

(these are all rough recipes - it’s been a busy old time with LOTS of cooking so have tried to be as accurate as possible. using your intuition is encouraged - as always 🙏)