Amuse-Bouches,Appetizers, and Hors

d’Oeuvres

© 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 4

A Taste by a Different Name

• Amuse-bouches: little savory nibbles, to be eaten with one or two bites

• Appetizers: smaller portions of food that appear as the first course of a meal

• Hors d’oeuvres: “outside the works”; may precede a large meal or may be used as a substitute for a meal

International Beginnings

• Antipasti (Italy) – salads, cooked vegetables, fungi, light egg or fish dishes

• Antojitos (Mexico) – tortilla-based fare such as tacos, quesadillas, and enchiladas

• Chat (India) – small portions of food eaten at all times of the day

• Dim Sum (China) – “touch the heart”; wide assortment of small sweet and savory dishes to be selected by the customer

International Beginnings

• Do nhau (Vietnam) – drinking dishes, literally translates to “little bites”– Mon an choi – hors d’oeuvre or appetizer

• Kanto (Thailand) – snacks for any time of day or night

• Mazza/Meze (Arabic) – dishes brought in small quantities to start the meal

International Beginnings

• Meeze (Greece) – small dishes that accompany drinks, precede a meal, or are provided for afternoon coffee

• Rijsstafel (Indonesia) – a sumptuous, multi-course profusion of small, highly seasoned side dishes of vegetables, meat, seafood, and poultry that accompany hot rice

International Beginnings

• Tapas (Spain) – small meals to accompany drinks

• Zakuskis (Russia) – hot and cold entrees served family-style before the meal, to whet the appetite

Hot Hors d’Oeuvres

• Served in lieu of an entire meal• Generally offered in combination

with cold hors d’oeuvres• “Finger food”• Ease of selection

Skewered Foods

• Originated in Asia, the Far East, and the Middle East

• Any bite-sized foods that are lanced to hold them together

• Picks:– Wooden or metal skewers– Toothpicks– Herb sprigs or similar objects

Quiches

• Baked custard, flavored with:– Seasoned meats– Seafood– Roasted vegetables– Cheeses

• May be prepared in:– Small pastry cups– Tart shells– Barquettes– Pieces cut from larger pies

Strudel and Phyllo

• When working with flaky pastry:– Allow frozen dough to thaw overnight

under refrigeration– Work in an area free of drafts and excess

air movement– Unroll sheets onto smooth, dry surfaces– Work with a few sheets at a time, leaving

remaining sheets covered until needed

Strudel and Phyllo

– Brush each layer with melted, but not hot, butter

– Fillings should be cool and free of excessive moisture

– Always brush the outside layer of dough after the filling has been added

– Bake on parchment-covered sheet pans at 350ºF until golden brown

Steamed and Fried Dumplings Wraps

• Wraps and buns may be made from:– Simple skins of rice or wheat flour and water– Leafy greens– Squares of seaweed– Steamed or baked bread

• Fillings may be made from:– Savory meat– Seafood– Tofu– Tempe– Vegetables

Cold Hors d’Oeuvres

• Characteristics– Lighter than hot hors d’oeuvres– Ingredients are less dense and

substantial– Lighter nibbles– Served alone, but often in

conjunction with hot hors d’oeuvres

Caviar

• Types– Beluga– Osetra– Sevruga

American Caviar

• American Sturgeon• Lake Sturgeon• Hackleback Sturgeon• White Sturgeon• Paddlefish Roe• Salmon Roe• Whitefish Roe

American Caviar

• Trout Roe• Bowfin Roe• Lobster Roe

Imported Caviar

• Beluga Sturgeon: largest and most rare

• Sevruga Sturgeon: smallest and most abundant of all sturgeon caviars

• Osetra Sturgeon: varies in size, color, and flavor

Imported Caviar

• Other notable imported caviar:– Tobico Sushi Caviar: commonly used

on sushi dishes for flavor enhancement

– Kaluga Caviar: black to golden brown roe with a slightly spicy flavor and an intense salty nature

Caviar Handling and Service

• Lift while spooning out• If spreading, ease it softly with a teaspoon• Serve from a non-metal spoon: bone,

tortoise shell, or mother-of-pearl• Large grain used to decorate canapés, can

be set in place with the tip of a paring knife• Rinse lumpfish, whitefish, and salmon roe

caviars to prevent color bleeding• Remove jars from refrigerator 10 to 15

minutes before serving

Caviar Service

• Serve with simple accompaniments, so as not to compete with or confuse the flavor and texture of the eggs

• Keep in original tin and set on crushed ice• The correct temperature for service is 28ºF• The lid (label) should be visible to the

consumer• Always use spoons made from either pearl,

bone, horn, wood, or glass

Caviar Service

• Accompaniments:– Lightly toasted white bread– Dark Russian rye bread– Brioche– Wheat blinis

(Often topped with a small amount of whipped unsalted butter or crème fraîche)

Caviar Service

• Less expensive roes are accompanied with toast points and:– Fresh lemon– Minced onions– Finely chopped egg whites and yolks– Red skin potatoes– Sliced cucumbers– Chives– Sour cream

Calculating Quantities for Service

• Straight from jar: ½ to 1 ounce per person• Appetizers with caviar on top: heaping ½

teaspoon• Touch used as a garnish: ¼ teaspoon or

less• By itself with crackers or toast points: a 2-

ounce jar serves approximately 4 people• Party canapés: one 2-ounce jar per 8

people

Caviar Care and Storage

• Don’t open until needed• Refrigerate at 28ºF to 32ºF• When there are leftovers, a sheet of

plastic wrap should be pressed directly onto the surface

• Cover and refrigerate promptly and use within 24 to 48 hours

• Rotate the tin each day so that the oil reaches all the eggs

Caviar Care and Storage

• Fresh caviar can be stored under refrigeration for 15 to 20 days (unopened)

• Unopened pasteurized caviar can be kept on the shelf for 6 months

• Freezing is not recommended; it toughens the roe membrane and alters the flavor

Sushi and Sashimi

• Types of Sushi– Nigiri – hand-shaped– Oshi – pressed– Maki – rolled– Bara – salad-type– California Roll – a variety of maki, stuffed

with avocado– Chirashi – scattered– Maze – mixed

Cooking Rice for Sushi

• Measure rice: 4 ounces per person• Wash rice: cover with water, drain,

rub, and agitate; add more water, and discard again; repeat until water runs clear

• Soak rice: cover with cool water and let soak for 10 to 15 minutes

• Drain rice; then let stand for 5 minutes

Cooking Rice for Sushi

• Add water: place in cooker, add water (the standard ratio for Japanese white rice is 1:1; for Sushi rice, reduce water by 10%)

• Cook rice: place lid and press button• Wait: when cooker shuts off, remove

lid, stir once, replace lid for 10 minutes• Add the Sushi-Zu

Preparing Sushi

• Ingredients– Fish (raw or cooked)– Rice– Seaweed– Vegetables– Condiments

• Soy sauce• Wasabi• Rice vinegar

Preparing Sashimi

• Ingredients– Raw Fish– Soy Sauce– Wasabi– Vinegar– Asian Pepper Sauce

Olives

• Quality Points– Color indicates degree of ripeness when

picked– Degree of ripeness contributes to texture

and flavor– Darker the color, riper the olive– Green olives are picked in early autumn—

September and early October• Firm, crisp texture and nutty flavor

Olives

• Quality Points– Red or brown shaded olives are picked in

late October and early November• Softened texture, slightly sweeter than green

– Black olives are allowed to remain on branches until they have fully ripened (deadened) any time from late November through January, sometimes later• Softer, sweeter, richer in flavor

Olives

• Quality Points– Overall quality depends much on

method of harvesting:• Handpicked (not roughly harvested in

batches• Naturally cured (never in lye)• Fresh (not pasteurized)

Common Olives

• Argentina– Alfonso

• Large, meaty, purple, unique fruity flavor

• France– Picholines

• Crisp, uncracked green, nutty flavor with anise undertones

– Niçoise• Tiny, black, unique delicate flavor

– Nyons• Dry-cured, then aged in brine to plump them• Slightly wrinkled and duller in appearance than North

African imitations

Common Olives

• Greece– Varieties

• Amfissa• Elitses – tiny• Hondroelia – gigantic• Konservolia – natural black• Mafplion – allowed to ripen on tree until

purple black• Kalamata – allowed to ripen on tree until

purple black

Common Olives

• Italy– Cerignola

• Naturally cured, medium ripe, light brown color

– Gaeta• Purple brown, used in pasta dishes or in

pizzas

Common Olives

• Morocco– Used in both table olives and olive oil

• Picholine• Marocaine• Zitoun

Common Olives

• Spain– Varieties

• Manzanilla– Smaller, crisper, nuttier than Gordal– Produces best tasting table olive

• Hojiblanca– Used primarily for olive oil production– Marginal as a table olive

• Gordal– Known as “queen olives”– Firm, meaty texture

Common Olives

• United States– Manzanilla

• 70% of all the olives grown in the U.S.

– Sevillano• Large, brine-cured, green, meaty, similar

to Spanish-style Gordal

– Mission– Ascolano– Barouni

Curing Olives

• Water Curing• Brine Curing• Lye Curing• Dry Curing• Sun Curing

Nuts

• Definitions:– “Any hard-shelled fruit or seed of which

the kernel is eaten by mankind”– Botanical: a fruit with a hard, dry shell

that needs to be cracked open to release the kernel

– Technical: seeds of a plant• Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds are

simply seeds in the truest sense because they originate in the center of the plant

Quality Points

• Nuts in shell have longer storage potential

• Broken pieces are more perishable than whole kernels

• High lipid content enables them to absorb odors easily from external sources

Common Nuts

• Almond: originated in the Mediterranean region

• Brazil: tree native to the Amazonian rain forest

• Cashews: native to South America• Hazelnuts (or filberts): native to

Europe• Macadamia: native to Australia

Common Nuts

• Pecans: native to North America• Pine Nuts: native to the

Mediterranean• Pistachios: native to Eastern Europe• Walnuts: grown in California, France,

Italy, China, and Chile• Sunflower Seeds: native to South

America, and Europe

Dried Fruits

• Types of Fruits– Pome fruits

• Apple• Pear

– Stone fruits• Plum• Peach• Cherry• Apricot

Quality Points

• Natural fructose decreases need to add refined sugar

• Raisins, figs, prunes, dates, persimmons are subject to sugaring on the surface– Sugar spotting is a crystallization of

sugars under the skin and in the flesh; gentle heating may reverse it

• Sulfur prevents natural browning

Drying Fruits

• Sun-dried: fruits are laid out in baskets, or on woven mats, to dry in sunshine

• Air-dried or Tunnel-dried: warm air is blown over fruit to dry

• Naturally Dried: dry on trees before harvesting• Infused with Sugar: fruit is cut and peeled,

then placed in a large container with water and a high concentration of sugar

• Dried by Frying: fried in oil to raise the temperature of water in the fruit to boil away rapidly

Dips and Spreads

• Dips– Characteristics

• Loose, and soft enough to be scooped, but stiff enough to adhere to dipper

• Softer than dipper• Flavor is dominant to dipper• May be served warm or cold• Become thicker when refrigerated• Made from blended or chopped vegetables or

fruits and bound with yogurt, mayonnaise, or cream cheese

Spreads

• Characteristics– Stiffer than dips– Savory styles are made from ground meats,

seafood, or cheeses that are blended with fats such as cream cheese

– Sweet spreads are commonly made from puréed fruits, chocolate, or nuts that are sometimes bound with cream cheese or sweetening agents

– Normally applied to canapés, croutons, toasts, or crackers with the aid of a small spatula or knife

Dips and Spreads

• Care and Storage– Most benefit from advance preparation

• Items bound with mayonnaise or dressings tend to loosen

• Items bound with cream cheese and butter will stiffen

– Store in airtight containers– Stir briefly when removed from

refrigeration

Canapés, Toasts, and Crackers

• Canapés are savory hors d’oeuvres made with a bread, cracker, or pastry base, so that they can be picked up with the fingers and eaten in one or two bites– Basic Components

• Base: sliced white, rye, brioche, or pumpernickel bread, slowly toasted until dry and crunchy

• May include crackers, toasted polenta, bagel chips, wonton skins, phyllo dough, tortillas, fried vegetables, potatoes, and other crunchy edibles

Canapés, Toasts, and Crackers

• Canapés– Basic Components

• Adhesive Spread– Covers base, attaches garnish– Must be firm enough to hold shape– Seals the base and keeps it from absorbing

excess liquid– Provides a flavor profile that either

compliments the body or provides a distinguishing characteristics of its own

Canapés, Toasts, and Crackers

• Canapés– Basic Components

• Body– Made from premium ingredients such as:

» Shellfish» Meats» Sausages» Vegetables» Eggs» Smoked seafood or poultry

Canapés, Toasts, and Crackers

• Canapés– Basic Components

• Garnish– Adds final appearance and taste– Creates focal point– Provides a contrasting texture and/or flavor

Canapés, Toasts, and Crackers

• Guidelines for Assembling Canapés– Prepare a clean and clear work area– All components should be prepared and

readily available– It is best to use Pullman loaves that have

been sliced lengthwise 1/16 inch to ¼ inch thick, then slowly toast

– The adhesive spread is applied to the base in an even fashion, covering the entire surface of the base unit

Canapés, Toasts, and Crackers

• Guidelines for Assembling Canapés– The body is placed on the canapé in

the same location for each unit– The garnish is then applied with the

same attention of uniformity– If stored, should be covered tightly