HORS D’OEUVRE

                                                            HORS D’OEUVRE

Hors d’oeuvre, whether hot or cold, are very small portions of foods served before the meal to whet the appetite. Hors d’oeuvre can be passed elegantly by waiters or displayed on buffets appetizers, or starters, whether hot or cold, are generally the first course or introduction to a meal; they are more typically served with dinner than with lunch. Sometimes there is very little difference between an hors d’oeuvre and an appetizer.

 GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING HORS D’OEUVRE   

1.      They should be small, one to two bites.

2.      They should be flavorful and well seasoned without being overpowering.

3.      They should be visually attractive.

4.      They should complement whatever foods may follow without duplicating their flavors.

COLD HORS D’OEUVRE     

Cold hors d’oeuvre are divided here into five broad categories. They are canapés, caviars, crudités, dips and sushi.

CANAPES

Canapés are tiny, open-faced sandwiches. They are constructed from a base, a spread and one or more garnishes.

    They most common canapé base is a thin slice of bread cut into an interesting shape and toasted. Although most any variety of bread can be used, spiced, herbed or otherwise flavored breads may be inappropriate for some spreads or garnishes. Melba toasts crackers and slices of firm vegetables such as cucumber or zucchini are also popular canapé bases. Whatever item is used, the base must be strong enough to support the weight of the spread and garnish without falling apart when handled.

      The canapé spread provides much of the canapé’s flavor. Spreads are usually flavored butters, cream cheese or a combination of the two.

  

Table 28.1 A selection of canapé spreads and suggested

Garnishes

Spread                           suggested garnishes

Anchovy butter             hard-cooked eggs, capers, green or black olive slices

Blue cheese                   grape half, walnuts, roast beef roulade, pear slice currants, watercress

Caviar butter                 caviar, lemon egg slice, chives

Deviled ham                  cornichons, mustard butter, sliced radish

Horseradish butter         smoked salmon, roast beef, smoked trout, marinated herring, capers, parsley

Lemon butter                 shrimp, crab, caviar, salmon, chives, parsley, black olive slices

Liver pate                      truffle slice, cornichons

Mustard butter               smoked meats, pate, dry salami coronet, and cornichons

Pimento cream cheese   smoked oyster, sardine, pimento, parsley

Shrimp butter                 poached bay scallops, shrimp, caviar, parsley

Tuna salad                      capers, cornichons, sliced radish

          

GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING CANAPE SPREADS

    The variety of canapé garnishes is vast. The garnish can dominate or complement the spreads, or it can be a simple sprig of parsley intended to provide visual appeal but little flavor. Traditional garnishes can be made by shaping thinly sliced smoked salmon into rosettes, or thin slices of salami into cornets, into which additional spread can be piped. The natural shape of a boiled, peeled shrimp also makes an attractive canapé garnish.

Barquettes, Tartlets and Profiteroles

Barquettes, tartlets and profiteroles are all adaptations of the basic canapé. A barquette is a tiny boat-shaped shell made from savory dough such as pate brisee. A tartlet is simply a round version of a barquette. A profiterole is a small puff made from pate a choux. These three items can be prepared like canapés by filling them with flavored spreads and garnishing as desired.

    CAVIAR   

Caviar, considered by many to be the ultimate hors d’oeuvre, is the salted roe (eggs) of the sturgeon fish. In the United States, only sturgeon roe can be labeled simply “caviar.” Roe from other fish must be qualified as such on the label (for example, salmon caviar or lumpfish caviar).   

     Most of the world’s caviar comes from sturgeon harvested in the Caspian Sea and imported from Russia and Iran. Imported sturgeon caviar classified according to the sturgeon species and the roe’s size and color include beluga osetra and sevruga as well as pressed caviar. Beluga is the most expensive caviar, and comes from the largest species (the sturgeon can weight up to 1750 pounds/800 kilograms); the dark gray and well-separated eggs are the largest and most fragile kind. Osetra is considered by some connoisseurs to be the best caviar; the eggs are medium-sized, golden yellow to brown and quite only to dark gray. Pressed caviar is processed caviar made from osetra and sevruga roes. The eggs are cleaned, packed in linen bags is destroyed and produce only 1 pound (450 grams) of pressed caviar; pressed caviar has a spreadable, jamlike consistency.

Purchasing and storing caviars

Although all caviar is processed with salt, some caviar is labeled malassol, which means “little salt.” Caviar should smell fresh, with no off odors. The eggs should be whole, not broken, and they should be crisp and pop when pressed with the tongue. Excessive oiliness may be caused by a large number of broken eggs. The best way to test caviar’s quality is to taste it.

Serving Caviars        

Fine caviar should be served in its original container or a nonmetal bowl on a bed of crushed ice, accompanied only by lightly buttered toasts or blinis and sour cream. Connoisseurs prefer china, bone or other nonmetal utensils for serving caviar because metal reacts with the caviar, producing off flavors.

Crudités

Crudite, a French word meaning “raw thing,” generally refers to raw or slightly blanched vegetables served as a hors d’oeuvre. Although almost any vegetable will do, the most commonly used are broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, asparagus and green beans, all of which are often blanched, and cucumber zucchini, yellow squash, radishes, green onions, cheery tomatoes, Belgian endive leaves, mushrooms, peppers and jicama, which are served raw.

     When preparing crudités, use only the freshest and best-looking produce available. Because they are displayed and eaten raw, blemishes and imperfections cannot be disguised. Vegetables, both blanched and raw, should be cut into attractive shapes. Crudités are usually served with one or more dips.

DIPS

Dips can be served hot or cold and as an accompaniment to crudités, crackers, chips, toasts breads or other foods.

   Cold dips often use mayonnaise, sour cream or cream cheese as a base. The methods for preparing mayonnaise-based and sour cream-based dips are identical to those for making mayonnaise-based salad dressings discussed in chapter 24, salads and salad dressings. The principal difference is that dips are normally thicker than dressings.

     To use cream cheese as a base, first soften it by mixing it in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Then add the flavoring ingredients such as chopped cooked vegetables, chopped cooked fish or shellfish, herbs, spices garlic or onions. Adjust the consistency of the dip by adding milk, buttermilk cream, sour cream or other appropriate liquid.

    Some cold dips such as guacamole and hummus use purees of fruits, vegetables or beans as the base.

    Hot dips often use a béchamel, cream sauce or cheese sauce as a base and usually contain a dominant flavoring ingredient such as chopped spinach or shellfish.

    Dips can be served in small bowls or hollowed-out cabbages, squash pumpkins or other vegetables. Hot dips are often served in chafing dishes.

    The combinations of ingredients and seasonings that can be used to make dips as well as the foods that are dipped in them are limited only by the chef’s imagination.

SUSHI     

Generally, sushi refers to cooked or raw fish and shellfish rolled in our served on seasoned rice. Sashimi is raw fish eaten without rice. In Japan, the word sushi (or zushi) refers only to the flavored rice. Each combination of rice and another ingredient or ingredients has a specific name. These include nigiri zushi (rice with raw fish), norimaki zushi (rice rolled in seaweed), fukusa zushi (rice wrapped in omelet), inari zushi (rice in fried bean curd) and cbirashi zushi (rice with fish, shellfish and vegetables). Although a Japanese sushi master spends years perfecting style and technique, many types of sushi can be produced in any professional kitchen with very little specialized equipment.

INGREDIENTS

Fish-The key to good sushi and sashimi is the freshness of the fish. All fish must be of the highest quality and absolutely fresh, preferably no more than one day out of the water. Ahi and yellowfin tuna, salmon, flounder and sea bass are typically used for sushi. Cooked shrimp and eel are also popular.

Rice- Sushi rice is prepared by adding seasonings such as vinegar, sugar, salt and rice wine (sake or mirin) to steamed short-grain rice. The consistency of the rice is very important. It must be sticky enough to stay together when formed into finger-shaped oblongs, but not too soft.

Seasonings- These include.

·         Shoyu- Japanese soy sauce, which is lighter and more delicate than the Chinese variety.

·         Wasabi- A strong aromatic root, purchased as a green powder, it is sometimes called green horseradish although it is not actually related to the common horseradish.

·         Pickled ginger- fresh ginger pickled in vinegar, which gives it a pink color.

·         Nori- A dried seaweed purchased in sheets; it adds flavor and is sometimes used to contain the rolled rice and other ingredients.

Hot Hors d’oeuvre

To provide a comprehensive list of hot hors d’oeuvre would be virtually impossible; therefore, we discuss just a few of the more commonly encountered ones that can be easily made in most any kitchen.

Filled Pastry Shells

Because savory (unsweetened) barquettes and tartlets, choux puffs and bouchees can hold a small amount of liquid, they are often baked than filled with warm meat, poultry or fish purees or ragouts, garnished and served hot. They become soggy quickly, however, and must be prepared at the last possible minute before service.

BROCHETTES  

Hors d’oeuvre brochettes are small skewers holding a combination of meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or vegetables. The foods are typically marinated, then baked, grilled or boiled and are usually served with a dipping sauce brochettes can be small pieces of boneless chicken breast marinated in white wine and grilled; beef cubes glazed with teriyaki sauce; lamb or chicken satay (sate) with peanut sauce or rabbit and shitake mushrooms skewered on a sprig of fresh rosemary.

MEATBALLS   

Meatballs made from ground beef, veal, pork or poultry and served in a sauce buffet style are a popular hot hors d’oeuvre. One of the best known is the Swedish meatball. It is made from ground beef, veal and pork bound with eggs and bread crumbs and served in a veloute or cream sauce seasoned with dill. Other sauces that can be used in the same manner are mushroom sauce, red wine sauce or any style of tomato sauce.

RUMAKI  

Traditionally, rumakis were made by wrapping chicken livers in bacon and broiling or baking them. Today, however, many other foods prepared in the same fashion are called rumaki. For example, blanched bacon can be wrapped around olives, pickled watermelon rind, water chestnuts, pineapple, dates or scallops. These morels are then broiled, baked or fried and served piping hot.

Other Hot Hors d’ oeuvre 

Other types of hot hors d’oeuvre include layers of phyllo dough wrapped around various fillings; vegetables such as mushrooms that are stuffed and baked; tiny red potatoes filled with sour cream and caviar or Roquefort cheese and walnuts; tiny artichoke or clam fritters or any of the hundreds of varieties of chicken wings that are seasoned or marinated, baked, fried, broiled or grilled and served with a cool and soothing or outrageously spicy sauce.

     The secret is to let your imagination be your guide, to keep the ingredients harmonious and, if the hors d’oeuvre are to precede dinner, not to allow them to duplicate the foods to be served or overpower them with excessively spicy flavors.