Appetizers are an important factor in any menu–and may, indeed, make up the menu of a stand-up cocktail party or reception. The appetizer or hors d’oeuvre–in the dictionary they are synonymous, but in practice the appetizer may be more complex and require service on a plate–is the first food your guests will taste. Therefore it should intrigue and stimulate but not overwhelm the taste buds. The recipes that follow, curtain calls for successes from previous Magazine columns, do that.
If there ever was a party food, it’s ham, especially dry-cured or “country” ham. Compared with boneless baking hams, the country ham has a firmer texture and a considerably more complex, hearty and sometimes very salty flavor that conveys special elements of the hog’s diet, such as nuts.
Some of these, the famous Smithfield of Virginia and others, require long soaking and cooking, while air-dried hams such as Italy’s prosciutto and its imitators need no cooking. Serve them in small, thin slices–by themselves or on biscuits or thin slices of bread–as appetizers. The meat also may be cut into julienne strips or fine dice and added discreetly to soups, salads and risotto or potato dishes.
This appetizer is a sure-fire party hit.
HAM AND CORN-BISCUIT APPETIZERS
40 to 45 servings
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced shallot or green onion
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
4 cups corn kernels
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste
1 teaspoon mace
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 pound ham meat, cured country ham preferred, sliced thin and cut into 2-inch pieces
1. In a frying pan, combine the butter, shallot, bell pepper and sage. Cook over low heat until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add corn, 1/2 teaspoon salt, several grinds of black pepper, cayenne and mace. Saute until corn is heated through, an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool.
2. Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in butter, then stir in milk and cream. Add 1 cup cooked corn mixture.
3. Roll out dough to a thickness of 3/4 inch, then cut out mini-biscuits with a 2-inch cookie cutter. Place biscuits on two ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes or until risen and nicely browned on top. Let cool on racks.
4. To assemble, cut a biscuit in half. Place a ham slice or slices on the bottom half, top with a dab of the remaining corn mixture. Repeat with the top half and then with the remaining biscuits. Serve with a brut sparkling wine or bourbon whiskey sours.
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The specialty foods trade has been so prolific in marketing sauces, preserves and spreads from around the globe that even the most craft-oriented of home cooks is tempted by all those shapely bottles and jars of exotic condiments with zippy labels and elevated price tags. Nonetheless, as indicated by a spate of books on the subject, lots of people also are tempted by the challenge of doing it themselves. For example, here is a spread from “The Mediterranean Pantry” (Artisan, $25), by Aglaia Kremezi, that is as exotic and earthy as the region itself.
EGGPLANT, PEPPER AND WALNUT SPREAD
Makes about 3 1/2 cups
2 large eggplants (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Near Eastern or Aleppo crushed red pepper, or red-pepper flakes
3 green bell peppers, seeded, halved and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup walnut meats
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, or to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for topping the jars
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1. Wash and dry the eggplants. Heat the broiler. To develop a smoky flavor, broil the whole eggplants, turning occasionally, until the skins blacken on all sides, about 40 minutes total.
2. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the eggplants. Cut open and discard the seeds. Let the pulp drain in a colander for at least 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, warm the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add the crushed red pepper and the bell peppers and saute until the peppers are soft, about 6 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute an additional minute. Let cool.
4. Place the drained eggplant pulp, the fried peppers with their oil, walnuts, vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process, pulsing the motor on and off, until the mixture becomes a smooth spread. Taste and add more salt or vinegar if needed.
5. Place the spread in jars, pressing down on it to eliminate all air pockets. Top each jar with a little olive oil and refrigerate. Spread will keep for 3 to 4 weeks.
Serve as an appetizer spread, with raw vegetables or on baked or steamed potatoes.
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With the overwhelming displays of salsas, chips, prepared dips and spreads in specialty food shops and supermarkets, it seems food manufacturers and in-store chefs have freed us from the need to make appetizers ever again. But part of me, the part that loves the challenge of deadlines, misses that frantic search through the refrigerator and pantry to find something, anything, that could be thrown together to appease the pre-meal hunger of guests just about to knock on the door.
So, with the fall party season in full swing, I went to the drawing board (cutting board, actually) with a stopwatch in hand and devised this recipe.
CREAM CHEESE AND SMOKED TROUT SPREAD
Makes about 50 appetizers
6 ounces soft cream cheese, at room temperature
3 ounces smoked trout with cracked pepper, skin removed and chopped (about 1/2 cup) *
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Lavash crackers or toasted bagel halves
* Substitute smoked shrimp or salmon, adding freshly ground pepper to taste.
1. Place cream cheese in a medium-size bowl. Add smoked trout, dill, lemon juice and salt. Beat with a fork until thoroughly blended. Taste and correct seasoning, if desired, with lemon juice and salt. If not serving immediately, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
2. To serve, place a liberal teaspoon of the spread on a Lavash cracker or cover the flat side of a bagel half generously and cut vertically into bite-size pieces.
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RESOURCES
Pg. 35: Metal tray, $325, Elements; platinum-rim wine glass, $56; platinum-rim plate, $116, and small cola plate, $35, all at Elements. Platinum silk/chiffon runner, $130, and pearl coaster, $15, at Tabula Tua. Alabaster striped napkin, $23, at Material Possessions.
Pg. 36: Celadon place mat, $58, at Elements. Silk-knot napkin, $10, at Pottery Barn.
