Novelist Graham Greene once remarked that “There is a charm in improvised eating which a regular meal lacks . . . a glamour never to be recaptured. . . .” Personally, I couldn’t agree more and such has made me into a grand connoisseur of appetizers and hors d’oeuvres that go beyond merely tickling the palate to sating hidden hungers in new and unexpected ways. My enthusiasm for the recipes in this chapter—Roasted Pepper and Artichoke Puffs, Pacific Flavor Shrimp, White Clam and Bacon Pizza, Saucisson Paysanne and Black Bean Hummus to name a few—is boundless. These are the informal yet often sophisticated morsels that I am happiest eating morning (!), noon, and night, the creations that I love most to invent, teach to students, and garnish for presentation.
While I certainly enjoy orchestrating a perfectly balanced meal of traditional courses, I’m at my most innovative when given free rein to pamper guests with many small appetizers that share no rhyme or reason except to lead one on an exotic taste voyage around the globe. Inclement weather on the homefront matters little when Mexico, the Orient, Normandy, New England, Canada, and the Caribbean are but a few of the destinations that are fair game for ingredient inspiration and a cold-weather cocktail party that sizzles. Eclectic palates and snowbound souls take heart, for these are recipes designed to be mixed and matched in an impromptu fashion for the pleasure of warming and waking up hibernating tastebuds.
Once in a rare while, I perfect an hors d’oeuvre that is so successful and addictive that I end up serving it at every party without ever tiring of it. The Scallop Puffs Que Sera, from my Nantucket Open House cookbook, have become one such signature morsel and these, I wager, are destined to serve as co-stars.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (13¾ ounces) artichoke bottoms, drained and cut into ¼-inch dice
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, minced
3 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil leaves
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
2 ounces Jarlsberg or Gruyère cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
3 red bell peppers
3 yellow bell peppers
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
1. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, just until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium-size mixing bowl.
2. Add the artichoke bottoms, prosciutto, basil, Parmesan, and Jarlsberg to the scallions and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and pepper. Bind the mixture with the mayonnaise and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile prepare the peppers: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Stem and seed each pepper, then cut into chunks about 2 × 1½ inches. Place the peppers in a single layer in a large, shallow baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the peppers 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven and let cool.
4. When ready to serve the hors d’oeuvres, preheat the broiler. Mound about 2 teaspoons of the artichoke mixture onto each pepper wedge. Arrange in rows on baking sheets and broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat until puffed and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Let cool a few minutes, then transfer to a serving tray and pass with plenty of cocktail napkins.
Makes about 4 dozen
These versatile, Mexican morsels are fun to make and great to nibble. Once made, they can be stored in the refrigerator up to a week or even frozen. Omit the chicken if a vegetarian version is preferred, and adjust the hotness to your taste with the cayenne pepper. These are celebrated party fare, though I often toast a few spirals at noontime to accompany a steaming bowl of soup.
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces mild chèvre, such as Montrachet
1 clove garlic, minced
3 scallions, trimmed and minced
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles
6 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained but oil reserved, thinly slivered
⅓ cup pitted black olives, minced
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup finely diced cooked white chicken meat
3 tablespoons minced cilantro (fresh coriander)
2 teaspoons best-quality chili powder
Cayenne pepper to taste
Salt to taste
14 large (10-inch) flour tortillas
1. Beat the cream cheese and chèvre together in a mixing bowl until smooth. Beat in all the remaining ingredients except the tortillas and oil from the sun-dried tomatoes.
2. Spread 1 tortilla with a generous 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Top with a second tortilla and spread in the same fashion with the cheese mixture. Roll up the 2 tortillas tightly like a jelly roll and wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas and cheese mixture. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. Cut each tortilla roll into ½-inch slices and place cut sides up on a nonstick baking sheet. Brush the top of each with a little oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Bake in the oven until puffed and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool a minute or two and serve.
Makes 9 dozen
Most of the crostini I ate in Italy were made with rounds of stale Tuscan bread brushed with olive oil and toasted, but I personally prefer little squares of fried polenta as the base of my crostini.
2 quarts water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups fine yellow cornmeal
Olive oil for sautéing
1. In a large heavy saucepan combine the water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Very, very gradually pour in the cornmeal, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When all the cornmeal has been added, reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture is thick, smooth, and pulls away from the side of the pan, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Spread the polenta evenly in a buttered 15 × 10-inch baking sheet. Cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. To make the crostini, turn the chilled polenta out of the pan and cut into 1½-inch squares. In a large heavy skillet heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the polenta squares in batches, flipping once with a spatula, until lightly browned on both sides and heated through, about 5 minutes. Add more olive oil to the skillet as needed. Keep the sautéed polenta squares warm on a baking sheet in a low oven. Use as directed with the various toppings that follow.
Makes about 4 dozen squares
When chicken livers are seasoned and blended properly, they make a wonderful savory spread. However, because most chicken liver preparations tend to end up looking like therapeutic mud from a fancy Italian spa, care must be taken with garnishing and the final presentation. I suggest topping each crostini with a healthy sprig of parsley or silvery sage leaf and sprinkling with a few toasted pine nuts.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2½ tablespoons olive oil
1 pound chicken livers, rinsed, membranes removed, and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 thin slices prosciutto (about 1 ounce), minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
4 juniper berries, crushed to a powder
3 tablespoons sweet Marsala
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons drained capers
¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Polenta for Crostini (see recipe)
Small parsley sprigs or sage leaves for garnish
1. Melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a food processor, add the cream cheese, and process until combined but not perfectly smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken livers, prosciutto, sage, and juniper. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the livers are cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the Marsala and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and cook 2 minutes more.
3. Add the chicken liver mixture to the cream cheese mixture in the processor and process until well combined. (The mixture may seem a bit liquidy at this point, but it will firm up once refrigerated.) Add the capers, pine nuts, and parsley; process quickly just to combine.
4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate covered at least 6 hours to let the flavors blend and mellow. Let warm to room temperature before serving. Spread a generous amount of the spread on each warm polenta crostini, garnish, and serve.
Makes about 3 cups, enough for 48 crostini
This spread is inspired by the flavors of Southern Italian cooking. The combination of coarsely chopped olives, lots of simmered garlic, sweet raisins, and zesty citrus lends a rustic appeal.
16 cloves garlic, peeled and each clove quartered lengthwise
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup raisins
⅓ cup dry white wine
1¼ cups chopped pitted Calamata olives
1 cup chopped pitted green olives
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Polenta for Crostini (see recipe)
1. Put the garlic and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small skillet. Simmer the garlic over medium-low heat until it is sweet and tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile put the raisins in a small saucepan, add the wine, and simmer over low heat 7 to 10 minutes to plump the raisins.
3. In a mixing bowl combine the garlic and raisins with the chopped olives. Season the mixture with the fennel seeds and citrus zests, then toss with the remaining ¼ cup olive oil and orange juice. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for a few hours to mellow the flavors. Spoon the mixture on warm polenta crostini.
Makes about 2½ cups, enough for 48 crostini
Forever the cheese lover, I like this crostini topping the best.
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, at room temperature
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Polenta for Crostini (see recipe)
4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and cut into thin slivers
1. In a small mixing bowl mash together the cream cheese and Gorgonzola until thoroughly combined. Mix in the garlic. Add the mozzarella and Parmesan and fold until all the cheeses are well mixed. Season with the basil and pepper.
2. Preheat the broiler.
3. Spread a generous tablespoon of the cheese mixture evenly over each polenta square, then press a sliver of sun-dried tomato on top. Place in rows on a baking sheet and broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat until the cheese is melting and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving tray and serve at once.
Makes about 2½ cups, enough for 48 crostini
These plump little pocket hors d’oeuvres remind me of the pies and savories served in British pubs. When I first made these I had a charming Scottish fellow, unwinding from a three-year stint in the English Army, assisting me in my shop. I loved the way his army training surfaced in the kitchen as he assured me that he committed each and every one of my recipe commands to memory so I would not have to repeat them again. To honor such dedication, I gave his name to these tasty little Cheddar, apple, and sausage morsels. Here’s to you, Tim!
Pastry
3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into bits
2½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Pinch salt
2 large eggs
Filling
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 leeks (white and light green parts), rinsed well and minced
⅓ pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps minced
12 ounces bulk pork sausage
3 tablespoons Calvados or brandy
2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Egg Wash
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
1. Prepare the pastry: Place the flour, butter, Cheddar, and salt in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the eggs and process just until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
2. Prepare the filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the leeks and shiitake mushrooms and sauté until softened, 5 minutes. Add the sausage and Calvados and cook, crumbling the sausage with the back of a spoon, until the sausage is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Stir in the apples, sage, and Cheddar and cook a couple of minutes more. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Divide the pastry dough in half and roll out each half ⅛-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. With a round cookie cutter about 2½ inches in diameter, cut out as many circles as possible from the dough. Save the scraps to make decorative garnishes.
5. To make the pasties, put a teaspoon of filling in the center of a dough circle, cover with another circle, and seal by pressing the edges together with the tines of a fork. Repeat the process and transfer the pasties to lined baking sheets.
6. For the egg wash, beat the eggs and water together and brush over each pasty. If you want, roll out the dough scraps and cut with a small decorative cookie cutter (star, heart, crescent moon). Place the shape on the center of each pasty and brush again with egg wash.
7. Bake the pasties in the oven until light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool a minute or two and serve hot. The pasties also can be stored in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking or baked ahead and then reheated.
Makes about 4 dozen
Crêpes laced with spinach, scallions, and dill are smeared with lemony cream cheese and sliced smoked salmon, rolled into logs, and then sliced into delectable bite-size morsels. The spiral effect of the pink and green is stunning and makes this hors d’oeuvre look like a very Western sushi roll.
Spinach Crêpes
3 large eggs
1½ cups milk
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained well
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup water
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salmon Filling
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 shallots, finely minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 teaspoons best-quality Hungarian sweet paprika
12 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
1. Prepare the crêpes: Place the eggs and milk in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at high speed 1 minute. Add the flour and beat until smooth and light, about 1 minute more. Stir in the spinach, scallions, dill, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir in the water and let the batter sit 15 minutes.
2. Heat a 7 or 8-inch crêpe pan over medium-high heat. Brush lightly with vegetable oil. Ladle about ⅓ cup batter into the hot pan, tilting to coat the bottom evenly. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the crêpe over carefully and continue cooking until light brown spots appear on the bottom, about 30 seconds more. Remove and let cool. Repeat the process with the remaining batter and oil to make 10 crêpes. (The crêpes can be made ahead and refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, 2 days before the final assembly.)
3. Prepare the filling: Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon zest, juice, shallots, dill, capers, and paprika.
4. Lay the crêpes spotted side up on a flat surface. Spread each with a generous 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture, then cover with a layer of the salmon slices. Roll each crêpe tightly, jelly-roll fashion, then wrap each roll in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
5. Trim the uneven ends off the rolls and cut into ½-inch-thick slices. Arrange on a platter and serve slightly chilled.
Makes about 60
These canapés are one of the most simple, sophisticated, and appreciated appetizers I know.
2½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound square-loaf European-style whole grain, rye, or pumpernickel bread
12 ounces thinly sliced best-quality smoked salmon
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the ginger and butter in a food processor and process until smooth and fluffy. Or beat the mixture using an electric mixer.
2. Cut each slice of bread into 4 triangles. Toast lightly and let cool. Spread each triangle generously with the ginger butter and top with a slice of salmon. Sprinkle the top of each canapé with a little freshly ground pepper. Arrange on serving trays and pass.
Makes 60 canapés
The idea for this winning recipe comes from the White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine. A while ago family members returned from a spirited birthday celebration for my uncle at the inn raving about the scallop appetizer. Though I have tried to check the appetizer out for myself, I just never seem to be there at the right moment. In the meantime lucky family members have continued to torment me with conflicting reports about how this exquisite concoction is made. Living on Nantucket within a stone’s throw of some of the world’s best scallops, I content myself and guests with this irresistible rendition.
2½ cups heavy or whipping cream
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1½ pounds fresh bay scallops
1 pound sliced maple-cured bacon
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or minced fresh parsley
1. Combine the cream and maple syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring just to a boil, then simmer until reduced almost by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; simmer a few minutes more and remove from the heat.
2. Cut the bacon slices so that they wrap once around the scallops. Wrap each scallop in a piece of bacon. Place the scallops in rows on a broiling tray. (The recipe can be prepared in advance to this point. Refrigerate the sauce and scallops up to 8 hours.)
3. When ready to serve, preheat the broiler.
4. Warm the cream sauce over medium-low heat. Broil the scallops 4 to 5 inches from the heat until the bacon is browned and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the hot scallops with toothpicks to a shallow serving dish that will just hold them in a single layer. Pour the maple cream over all, sprinkle with chives, and serve at once.
Makes 8 to 10 appetizer servings
Note: For a more formal first course, place 5 or 6 scallops, without toothpicks, on a plate and nap with the maple cream sauce. Serve with knife and fork and perhaps bread for savoring every last drop of sauce.
For years I have been intrigued by stories about a scrumptious white clam pizza made at a pizza parlor in New Haven, Connecticut. As I am very fond of pasta with white clam sauce, I found the thought of the pizza most appealing. After playing around with the idea in my kitchen, the recipe has evolved into one of my very favorites. I have added bacon to the original concept—a fabulous smoky and crisp contrast to the chewiness of the clams. Serve cut into small squares for a cocktail party or be piggy and make it a satisfying Sunday supper.
Pizza Dough
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1¼ teaspoons salt
3 to 3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Yellow cornmeal
Clam and Bacon Topping
4 ounces sliced bacon, cut into ½-inch dice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Pinch of dried red pepper flakes
1½ cups minced clams, fresh or thawed frozen
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Prepare the pizza dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large mixing bowl and let dissolve for 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the oil and the salt. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the flour, ½ cup at a time, to make a soft and sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a clean mixing bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, 1½ to 2 hours.
2. In the meantime, prepare the clam topping: Sauté the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through but not quite crisp. (The bacon will finish crisping as it bakes on the pizza.) Remove the bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels. Add the olive oil to the bacon fat in the skillet. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté 2 minutes. Add the clams and simmer over medium heat 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and bacon.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sprinkle a 15 × 10-inch baking sheet lightly with cornmeal.
4. Punch down the pizza dough and roll it out to fit into the pan. Stretch the dough in the pan and crimp the edges decoratively. Spread the clam topping evenly over the dough and scatter the Parmesan over all.
5. Bake the pizza until puffed and golden brown around the edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut into small or large squares.
Makes 15 × 10-inch pizza
My favorite food in the panoply of Chinese cooking is dumplings. Pot stickers are pan-fried dumplings that get their crunch and their name by literally sticking to the bottom of the pot. Most recipes call for a combination of seafood and meat in the filling, but I prefer the more extravagant use of all shrimp. Packaged wonton skins are remarkably easy to work with, and these dumplings make an exotic and stellar party hors d’oeuvre.
1 ounce dried mushrooms, preferably Chinese black mushrooms
1½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 scallions, trimmed and minced
1 small carrot, peeled and minced
½ cup canned whole water chestnuts, drained and minced
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons minced cilantro (fresh coriander)
1 large egg white
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Oriental sesame oil
Dash of hot chile oil
Cornstarch
40 prepared wonton skins
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sauce
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon chopped orange zest
1 teaspoon Oriental sesame oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
Several drops hot chile oil
1. Soak the mushrooms in hot water to cover until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain and finely mince.
2. Combine the mushrooms, ginger, scallions, carrot, water chestnuts, orange zest, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat the egg white in a small bowl just until foamy. Place the shrimp in a food processor, add the egg white, and process until the shrimp is very finely minced. Add the mushroom mixture and process to combine. Add the soy sauce, sherry, sugar, sesame oil, and chile oil; process just to combine. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside.
4. Line a couple of baking sheets with waxed paper and sift cornstarch lightly over the paper. Place a scant tablespoon of the shrimp filling on the center of each wonton skin. With your finger moisten the edges of the skin with water, fold the skin in half into a triangle, and pinch the edges together to seal. Moisten the 2 opposite points of the triangle with another drop of water and pinch the points together. Place the dumplings on the prepared trays as you work. (The dumplings can be prepared ahead up to this point; cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel and refrigerate up to 4 hours.)
5. Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl.
6. Coat 2 heavy 12-inch skillets each with 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil. Heat the skillets over high heat. When sizzling, add half the dumplings to each pan. Brown the bottoms evenly, lifting carefully every now and again with a spatula to prevent burning. The dumplings will brown in 5 to 7 minutes. Divide the sauce equally between the skillets and continue cooking until the dumplings are cooked through and translucent and the sauce is reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes more.
7. Transfer the dumplings to a serving platter and pass with either toothpicks or, more authentically, chopsticks.
Makes 40 dumplings
Shrimp’s popularity never ceases to amaze me. Even in this time of newfangled hors d’oeuvres, “having shrimp” and plenty of it still sets the standard for what makes a good party. Since my catering conscience won’t allow me to send a mound of shrimp accompanied by cocktail sauce off to a party, I devised this dish after being inspired by Hugh Carpenter’s Pacific Flavors cookbook. The shrimp are cooked, tossed in sesame oil, and then mixed in a very provocative tomato-based sauce. Arrange in a shallow serving bowl and have guests spear the shrimp with toothpicks.
1½ cups tomato purée
2½ tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped zest of 1 lime
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1½ tablespoons Oriental chile paste
¾ cup shredded fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
3 pounds medium to large shrimp, peeled, deveined, cooked, and drained
2 tablespoons Oriental sesame oil
Dried red pepper flakes to taste
Lime wedges for garnish
1. Combine the tomato purée, sugar, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, chile paste, and ½ cup of the basil in a saucepan. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and set aside. Bring the sauce ingredients to a low boil over medium heat and cook a few minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and cook just until the sauce is thick and glossy. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. Toss the cooked shrimp with the sesame oil in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste. Add the cooled tomato sauce and toss to combine. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup basil. Garnish with lime wedges. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Makes 12 to 15 appetizer servings
While salt cod is often cast a dubious glance in the current sea of sushi and rare tuna, the Europeans have long known many magical transformations for these ugly crusted and leathery slabs of dried fish. It is thought that sixteenth-century Portuguese sailors were the first to salt and sun-dry the fresh cod they caught as a means of preserving it during voyages of many months at sea. In fact the great French epicure Escoffier later credited the Portuguese with bringing “the gastronomic values of this precious fish to Europe.”
The warm French dip known as brandade is one of my favorite salt cod preparations. I think of it as a cold-weather cousin to lusty aioli. The following version is the one my brother serves as an appetizer at his restaurant, Jonathan’s, snuggled in the little town of Blue Hill, along the midcoast of Maine.
1 pound salt cod
2 large baking potatoes, peeled
8 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup fruity olive oil
¼ cup heavy or whipping cream
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
French bread rounds, toasted
1. Soak the salt cod in cold water to cover overnight, changing the water several times. Rinse the fish and drain. Cut into 1-inch squares and lay the pieces out on a kitchen towel; place another towel on top and gently squeeze out any excess water. Set aside.
2. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil until tender. Drain and set aside.
3. Place the salt cod and garlic in a food processor and process with quick pulses until the fish is finely ground. With the machine running, pour the olive oil slowly through the feed tube and process until incorporated.
4. Cut the warm potatoes into coarse chunks, add to the processor, and process just until incorporated. Be careful at this point not to overprocess or the potatoes will become gluey. Add the cream and pulse quickly just to blend. Season to taste with white pepper. (At this point the brandade may be refrigerated until ready to serve but no longer than 5 days.)
5. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 425°F.
6. Spoon the brandade into a 9-inch gratin dish or several (8 to 10) smaller gratin dishes if serving individually. Heat until warmed through and slightly browned and crusted on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with plenty of toast rounds for dipping.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Many of my happiest summer memories include a spicy bowl of guacamole and an icy salt-rimmed Margarita. Since winter still provides terrific avocados but not great guacamole mix-ins, I devised this hearty and unconventional cold-weather variation to inspire rhapsodic winter memories as well.
3 ripe avocados, preferably Hass
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 scallions, trimmed and finely minced
2 small jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
4 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and minced
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
5 slices bacon, cooked crisp and coarsely crumbled
3 tablespoons minced cilantro (fresh coriander)
Salt to taste
Pit and peel the avocados and mash the pulp in a medium-size mixing bowl to a chunky consistency (a large wooden spoon or potato masher works well). Add the lime juice, scallions, jalapeño chiles, and sun-dried tomatoes, then fold in the cheese, bacon, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt. Serve the guacamole as soon as possible to keep the bacon crisp. Accompany with your favorite chips for dipping.
Makes 3 to 4 cups
When the last of summer’s vegetables are salvaged from the vines before the first frost, I make this smoky salsa and serve it warm with blue and yellow corn chips. Oven roasting the vegetables intensifies the garden-ripe flavor and helps disguise the little surface imperfections that can afflict end-of-season produce. This is a simple yet sensational addition to the ever-expanding salsa craze.
6 ripe beefsteak tomatoes
1 yellow bell pepper
¼ cup fruity olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and minced
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
½ cup fresh lime juice
⅓ cup minced cilantro (fresh coriander)
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Place the tomatoes and yellow pepper in a roasting pan and coat generously with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil the vegetables 4 to 5 inches from the heat, turning frequently, until blistered and lightly charred all over, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes.
3. Remove the blistered skin from the tomatoes and bell pepper; remove the stem and seeds from the pepper. Place the vegetables along with any accumulated pan juices in a food processor and purée until smooth. Transfer the purée to a mixing bowl.
4. Stir the scallions, jalapeño chiles, lime juice, and cilantro into the tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the salsa warm with your favorite corn chips.
Makes about 3 cups
This is my ingenious and tasty entry into the current trend of serving black-hued foods. In this hummus, black beans take the place of the chick-peas and peanut butter the place of sesame tahini. Lime juice, hot peppers, and cilantro add a Caribbean twist, which may be accented further by using sweet potato and banana chips as dippers instead of the traditional pita triangles.
8 ounces of dried black beans, soaked overnight, then cooked in fresh water until tender
⅓ cup fresh lime juice
3 large cloves garlic, minced
½ cup freshly ground smooth peanut butter
½ to ¾ cup water
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
½ cup minced cilantro (fresh coriander)
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Lime wedges for garnish
Black olives for garnish
1. Drain and rinse the cooked black beans. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Place the lime juice, garlic, and peanut butter in a food processor and process to a smooth paste.
3. Add the black beans and process until the mixture is very smooth, thinning it to spreading consistency with the water while processing. Add the jalapeño chiles and cilantro and pulse the machine just to incorporate. Season to taste with salt.
4. Transfer the black bean hummus to a serving bowl. Drizzle the top with olive oil to make it glisten. Garnish with lime wedges and black olives. Serve at room temperature accompanied by the dippers of your choice.
Makes about 4 cups
I first sampled the Chinese vegetable creation, Strange Flavor Eggplant, a few years ago at Barbara Tropp’s poetic China Moon Café in San Francisco. Tastebuds titillated and transformed, I could scarcely wait to return to my own East Coast kitchen to concoct a batch with my own personal stamp. When the food savvy staff of my Que Sera Sarah store unabashedly devoured my experiment, I realized that from here on in, it would be bye, bye baba ghanouj as the favorite ethnic eggplant dip on the fashionable cocktail party circuit.
Serve this spicy-sweet spread either warm, at room temperature, or chilled, with homemade Sesame Sippets.
1½ pounds eggplant (about 2 medium)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons Oriental sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
3 scallions, trimmed and minced
¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
3½ tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
Sesame Sippets (recipe follows)
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Place the whole eggplants on a baking sheet and prick in several places with a fork to allow steam to escape. Coat the eggplants with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Roast, turning once halfway through cooking, until the pulp is quite soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
3. Cut off the stems and peel the skin from the eggplants. Place the pulp in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil along with the sesame oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions, and red pepper flakes; quickly cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
5. Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar just until the sugar is dissolved. Add at once to the skillet and bring to a boil. Stir in the puréed eggplant and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve accompanied by Sesame Sippets.
Makes about 2½ cups
These are simple to make and taste so much more special than those store-bought crackers.
4 large (7 to 8 inches in diameter) pita breads, each separated horizontally into 2 rounds
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil
¼ cup sesame seeds
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mix the vegetable and sesame oils in a small bowl. With a pastry brush, coat the exposed side of each pita half lightly with oil. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds. With a sharp knife, cut the pita halves into irregular, bite-size triangles. Place on baking trays.
3. Toast the triangles in the oven until lightly browned and crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool and store in an airtight container.
Makes about 5 dozen
A cigar-chomping, Calvados-swilling Texan named Bill Rapson, a member of my recent cycling expedition through Normandy, told me about this unusual seafood sauce of his while we shared a bottle of Beaujolais at the Brasserie les Vapeurs in fashionable Trouville-sur-Mer. The notion of mixing tomatoes with jalapeño chiles and almond extract as a condiment for raw oysters sounded just whacky enough to be exceptional. As promised, upon return he sent up a copy of the recipe from Houston. I interpreted it and tested it on a mixed group of conservative New Englanders and worldly Nantucket travelers. While all actually admitted to enjoying it dolloped over oysters on the half-shell, most thought that it would be even more spectacular tossed with poached mussels or shrimp. In enthusiastic agreement, I now share Red Sauce Rapson with the hope that it infuses new rapture and adventure into many a shellfish feast!
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ripe large tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
2 jalapeño or serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
½ cup coarsely ground almonds
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or 1 tablespoon dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the tomatoes, jalapeño chiles, bell pepper, almonds, and almond extract. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh tarragon. (If using dried tarragon, add it initially to the skillet with the other ingredients.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill the sauce several hours in the refrigerator. Serve as a sauce on raw oysters or clams or as a dip for cooked mussels, shrimp, lobster, or crab.
Makes about 3 cups
Many of my most creative hors d’oeuvres have evolved out of unbearably harried times in the kitchen. In this particular instance, I had promised a customer during a very busy weekend that I would invent some sort of tropical chicken tidbit for her Saturday night cocktail party. Just as the sands of the hourglass started to run a mite thin, I was saved by a miraculous surge of culinary adrenaline. I only regret that it took a crisis to give birth to this fabulous combination of textures and flavors.
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1½ cups cashews, lightly toasted
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup cornstarch
Lime Marmalade Dipping Sauce
1 jar (16 ounces) lime marmalade
1 jar (5 ounces) prepared white horseradish
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
1. At least 2 hours ahead of time, marinate the chicken: In a small bowl whisk together the sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil, and lime juice. Stir in the lime zest, garlic, and ginger. Place the chicken cubes in a large bowl and toss with the marinade. Refrigerate covered at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
3. Place the cashews, sesame seeds, and cornstarch in a food processor and process until the mixture looks like small, powdery pebbles. Transfer to a shallow dish, such as a pie plate.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving any left over. Dredge each chicken cube with the cashew mixture to coat evenly. Place the cubes slightly apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven, drizzling with the reserved marinade, until the chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
5. In the meantime, heat the lime marmalade in a saucepan over medium-low heat just until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the horseradish and cilantro. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Spear each chicken cube with a toothpick, arrange on a serving platter, and pass with the sauce.
Makes about 5 dozen pieces
This is my elaboration on a recipe from a great friend and bon vivant, Canadian publisher Al Cummings. Though Al and I have indulged in many extravagant feasts at renowned restaurants, both of us secretly share insatiable cravings for hearty and peasanty sausage cookery. While the rewards of kielbasa kinship are many, the sharing of this rustic hors d’oeuvre recipe is among the most coveted.
1 smoked kielbasa, about 1 pound
1 cup dry white wine
1 heaping tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons strong Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Calvados or brandy
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Cut the kielbasa into 1-inch slices, then cut each slice into quarters. Put the meat in a heavy skillet just large enough to hold all the pieces in a single layer and pour in the wine.
2. Bring the wine to a boil and cook uncovered until the wine has almost evaporated and looks syrupy, about 12 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, mustard, and Calvados; cook 1 minute more.
3. Toss the sausage with the parsley and pepper to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature with toothpicks for spearing and thin rounds of crusty Fresh bread for dipping in the juices.
Makes 6 to 8 appetizer servings
This flavorful, Indonesian-inspired skewer can be made with almost any sort of seafood, poultry, or meat. However I personally feel that the highly seasoned sâté sauce best complements heartier meats such as lamb and pork. My version is a favorite developed after many tries.
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup cream sherry
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, minced
3 pounds lean lamb, cut into ¾-inch cubes
Sâté Sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 jalapeño or serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon ground coriander
⅓ cup chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
1. Prepare the lamb marinade: Whisk together the vegetable oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sherry. Stir in the lime zest and garlic. Place the lamb in a large shallow dish and coat with the marinade. Marinate covered in the refrigerator, stirring once in a while, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sâté sauce: Heat the vegetable and sesame oils together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño chiles; sauté until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Blend in the vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the tomato paste, peanut butter, lime juice, and coriander; stir until smooth. Thin the sauce to the consistency of sour cream with water. Let simmer over medium heat 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.
3. When ready to cook the sâtés, preheat the broiler. Soak about 24 thin wooden skewers in water for a few minutes to prevent them from burning under the broiler.
4. Thread 3 or 4 pieces of the marinated lamb on the skewers. Place the skewers on a broiling rack and brush liberally with the sâté sauce. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat, turning once, about 3 minutes each side. Pass the sâté skewers at once on a platter with a little bowl of extra sâté sauce for dipping.
Makes about 2 dozen skewers
Many pâtés achieve their characteristic complexity of flavor by using game forcemeats. Since game is often expensive and difficult to come by, I could never stand the thought of grinding it up into a pâté. I had a hunch that the ground turkey meat that I had been seeing with increasing frequency in the supermarket would make a great and economical substitute. I followed my instincts and added textural variety with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and crunchy hazelnuts to end up with a pâté whose flavor I felt embodied the essence of autumn.
Pâté will keep in the refrigerator, well wrapped, for two weeks or it can be frozen up to a couple months. It is excellent for entertaining and also makes a welcome hostess gift. In addition to mustard and cornichons, I often accompany my cold-weather pâtés with a side dish of homemade cranberry relish.
2 pounds ground lean turkey meat
8 ounces pork fatback, diced
12 ounces bulk pork sausage
1 medium onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pound lean pork, cut into 2 × ⅓-inch strips
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup Calvados or brandy
6 bay leaves
1 pound sliced bacon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced
¾ cup lightly toasted skinned hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1. The day before baking the pâté, combine the turkey, pork fatback, sausage, onion, and garlic. Put the mixture through a meat grinder or process in a food processor until it is well blended.
2. Place the mixture in a large mixing bowl and mix in the rosemary, thyme, coriander, salt, pepper, pork strips, and prosciutto. Beat in the eggs and the Calvados to bind. Cover the mixture and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
4. Place a row of 3 bay leaves down the center of each of two 6 to 8 cup terrines or loaf pans. Line each with bacon slices arranged crosswise to line both the sides and bottom. Let the ends of the slices hang over the edges of the pan.
5. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently until lightly browned and any liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
6. Layer one-third of the pâté mixture into the prepared terrines. Top with half the sautéed mushrooms and half the hazelnuts. Top with another third of the meat mixture, then the remaining mushrooms and hazelnuts. Make a final layer with the rest of the meat and pack the mixture compactly with your hands or the back of a wooden spoon. Fold the overhanging bacon slices over the top of each pâté.
7. Completely wrap each pan tightly with aluminum foil. Place the pans in a larger baking pan and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the pâté pans. Bake the pâtés 1½ hours. Remove from the oven and let cool under a weight (such as a large can of tomatoes or juice), 2 hours. Chill the pâtés several hours before unmolding and serving.
Makes two 8 × 3-inch pâtés
A recent fall bicycle jaunt through the cow and cathedral-laden countryside of Normandy awakened new respect for the native Camembert and Calvados. While I certainly savored and sipped my share of both to fuel my pedaling, I soon felt the urge to pay some sort of homage to remembered flavors once back at home. This elegantly soused and dressed wheel of oozing Camembert can almost make me mistake Nantucket for the quaint Norman seaport of Honfleur.
1 wheel (8 ounces) Camembert or Brie
3 tablespoons Calvados
1 cup skinned hazelnuts, very lightly toasted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 crisp Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
Sliced French bread
1. The day before you plan to serve the Camembert, gently scrape the thick white parts of the skin from the cheese but do not remove the rind. Poke the surface of the cheese lightly all over with the tines of a fork. Place the cheese on a plate and pour the Calvados over it. Marinate at room temperature for 24 hours, turning the cheese over occasionally.
2. The following day, finely chop the hazelnuts in a food processor. Add the butter and process just to combine. Pat the hazelnut mixture evenly all over the top and sides of the cheese. Transfer to a baking dish and refrigerate covered 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. Bake the cheese until the nuts are golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve at once with apple wedges and French bread.
Serves 1 to 8
A hollowed-out pineapple half is the traditional vessel for this exotic sweet-and-savory cheese spread. However, I’m fond of spooning it onto little kumquat halves, garnishing them with a dusting of toasted coconut, and passing them as a bite-size hors d’oeuvre. Use your imagination as the curry flavors blend beautifully with most winter fruits.
1½ pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons medium dry sherry
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon best-quality curry powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and finely minced
⅔ cup mango chutney, finely chopped
6 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Grated zest of 1 lime
6 ounces hickory-smoked almonds, coarsely chopped
Garnishes of winter fruits (grapes, oranges, apples, pears, and kumquats) in bite-size pieces, toasted coconut, or wheatmeal crackers, if serving as a spread
Using an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese, sherry, brown sugar, curry, ginger, and mustard in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the scallions, chutney, Cheddar, lime zest, and almonds. Let the flavors mellow for a few hours in the refrigerator. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature as a dip in a hollowed-out pineapple half or piped onto individual, bite-size pieces of fruit. Garnish with toasted coconut.
Makes 6 cups
I had mixed feelings about including this Greek spinach-and-cheese pie recipe in the book, because I think it is a rather dated hors d’oeuvre. Yet it was a very popular item at my shop, and customers always commented that the Que Sera Sarah version was the best they had ever tasted. A big tray of spanakopita is a relatively easy way to provide a lot of bite-size nibbles for a crowd, and I’ll take cutting this pie into little squares any day over folding dozens of individual phyllo triangles! In that time-saving spirit, I present the tried-and-true recipe from my shop files.
1 to 1½ cups (2 to 3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
6 large eggs, beaten
3 pounds ricotta cheese
2½ tablespoons unsalted butter
2 bunches scallions, trimmed and minced
3 packages (10 ounces each) frozen spinach, cooked and drained
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup minced fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound phyllo dough, thawed
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush an 18 × 12 × 2-inch baking pan with a thin coating of melted butter.
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs and ricotta until smooth. Melt the 2½ tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and sauté just until softened, about 3 minutes. Add to the ricotta mixture along with the spinach, feta, mozzarella, and dill. Mix until well combined and season with salt and pepper.
3. Unwrap the phyllo dough, lay it out flat on a clean surface, and cover the top with a slightly damp kitchen towel to keep the dough from drying out while working.
4. Cover the bottom of the prepared baking pan with 1 sheet of phyllo dough. Brush with a thin coating of the melted butter, then continue layering and buttering the dough in the same manner for 8 sheets. Cover with an unbuttered ninth sheet and spread half the ricotta-spinach filling evenly over the top. Layer 5 more buttered sheets of dough on top of the filling. Top with a sixth unbuttered sheet of dough and spread with the remaining filling. Layer and butter all the remaining sheets of dough on top of the filling. Brush the top sheet generously with butter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
5. Bake the spanakopita in the oven until it is puffed and golden brown on top, 1 to 1¼ hours. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into serving pieces. If you wish to make miniature hors d’oeuvre squares, the spanakopita will cut farm more easily if cooled, refrigerated, and then cut. Heat the individual squares on a baking sheet in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Pass at once.
Makes 16 large squares or about 150 miniature squares
I used to make this hors d’oeuvre quite frequently during my early years on Nantucket. I had sort of forgotten about it until recently when I was trying to conjure up something warm, wonderful, and innovative to do with mushrooms. The dish is an intriguing upside-down version of stuffed mushrooms—sautéed mushroom caps float on a bed of minced stems, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, and pine nuts. Perfect for tapas’style cocktail parties where the food requires more forks than fingers.
3 pounds large domestic white mushrooms
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry red wine
2½ cups bread crumbs, made from day-old French bread
1 cup minced fresh parsley
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
3 tablespoons heavy or whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Separate all the mushroom caps from the stems. Reserve 30 of the biggest, best-looking caps. Finely chop the remaining caps along with stems. Wrap the chopped mushrooms in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to extract as much moisture as possible. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon each butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté a third of the mushroom caps, light golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the caps over and cook another 2 minutes; remove to a platter. Repeat the process, adding another tablespoon each butter and oil to the skillet for each batch.
3. When all the mushroom caps have been cooked, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons each butter and oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the chopped mushrooms and sauté until softened and lightly browned, 5 minutes. Add the red wine and simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the bread crumbs and cook 5 minutes more. Add the Parmesan, pine nuts, and cream; cook 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. Spread the chopped mushroom mixture in a shallow, 12 to 14-inch round baking dish. Arrange the mushroom caps right side up decoratively over the filling. Bake in the oven just until heated through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve at once, letting each guest scoop a few whole mushrooms with filling onto a small plate.
Makes 10 to 12 servings