Hot Hors d’Oeuvre for Cocktail Parties
There are probably more ideas for hot snacks extant than there are toothpicks in a toothpick factory. I have been served under the label of hot hors d’oeuvre everything from a hamburger to a banana fritter. I shall not attempt to cover that many nor that scope, but I shall set down a few of my favorite recipes and augment the list you already have for such occasions.
I think, in order to simplify matters as we go on, it might be wise to list and define some of the terms I shall be using in this chapter.
♦ Allumettes: Tiny fingers of puff paste baked with various toppings.
♦ Barquettes: Tiny pastry shells in the shape of a boat, filled with various things and grilled or baked.
♦ Beignets: French for fritters.
♦ Bouchées: The smallest member of the patty-shell clan. Tiny shells of puff paste which are exceedingly useful and decorative.
♦ Brochettes: Arrangements of meats and vegetables on tiny skewers, grilled or fried for service on the skewer.
♦ Crêpes: Thin pancakes rolled around fillings, or stacked with filling in between and sliced.
♦ Tartlets: Round tarts filled with various savory mixtures, with the mixture as well as the pastry hot.
Hot hors d’oeuvre require plates for each guest, and in some cases it is wise to have forks or tiny spoons also. Naturally, if you are having an elaborate service with various types of hot and cold dishes, you would have these things on your buffet table anyway, and I feel there are certain foods that are unusual enough and delicious enough to warrant the extra bother that additional equipment makes.
For service dishes you will find that any of the usual table service dishes fulfill the requirements for cocktail time; it is a case of getting along with what you have, more than it is a problem of finding special dishes.
However, if you are fortunate enough to have a huge, old-fashioned English breakfast dish of silver or china with a hot-water base you are lucky, for you can serve on it several different dishes at one time and keep them all hot.
If you have a limited number of special serving dishes and still wish to have a variety of hot snacks, use dinner plates. Have them as hot as possible and cover them with a neatly folded napkin.
For things served en brochette you need skewers of either wood or metal. When serving hot brochettes, it is best to have plenty of little paper cocktail napkins at hand so that guests can wrap a napkin around the skewer and protect their fingers.
If, however, you are serving just a few hot things before dinner, simply pass them together on a heated plate and have individual plates for guests if they seem necessary. Never bring in individual plates already containing one of this and one of that and one of the other for each guest. One of the joys of this type of food is to have a liberty of choice, to explore unknown territory, and to pick on one’s favorites. So give your guests a chance to experiment.
You will find recipes for feuilletage, or puff paste, and for flaky pastry, in the chapter on canapés, with instructions on how to make the various pastry forms and shapes.
First, here are two basic sauces you will need occasionally:
BASIC BÉCHAMEL SAUCE (cream sauce)
4 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1½ cups of half cream and half milk
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Melt the butter and add the flour. Cook until well blended and bubbly. Slowly add the cream and milk, stirring constantly to be sure the mixture does not lump. Continue stirring and cooking until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For a slightly thicker and richer sauce, after the sauce is done, put it over hot, not boiling, water and stir in two lightly beaten egg yolks. Cook and stir until smooth and thickened. Do not let the water boil or the sauce will curdle.
MORNAY SAUCE
Add one half cup of grated Parmesan cheese to one and one half cups of Béchamel sauce. Blend thoroughly and cook gently until the cheese melts into the sauce.
SARDINE CANAPÉS
Mash a tin of boneless sardines with the juice of half a lemon and one half teaspoon of onion juice. When thoroughly mashed, bind with a little mayonnaise and pile on buttered rounds of toast. Top each Canapé with a small square of Cheddar cheese and place under a low flame till cheese is melted.
Chop three quarters of a cup of baked ham rather coarsely. Add one half teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, a teaspoon of onion juice, and enough mayonnaise to bind. Pile on rounds of toast and grill very slowly.
HAM AND OLIVE CANAPÉS
½ cup of chopped ham
¾ cup of grated Switzerland Swiss cheese
½ cup of chopped olives
1 tablespoon of chopped onion
Blend the ham and one half cup of cheese thoroughly. Add the olives and the chopped onion and mix. Pile on buttered toast rounds; sprinkle with remaining grated cheese and place under a low flame till cheese melts.
CHICKEN AND ALMOND CANAPÉS
¾ cup of chopped chicken
½ cup of chopped almonds
¼ cup of grated Switzerland Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon of chopped gherkin
Salt, pepper
Mayonnaise to moisten
Mix the chicken with almonds and grated cheese. Add the gherkin and salt and pepper to taste. If the paste is not bound together, add a little mayonnaise to hold it. Pile on buttered toast rounds and grill under a low flame. You may top this with a slice of blanched almond if you wish.
Heat some freshly cooked or canned asparagus tips in butter till they are heated through. Place them on fingers of buttered toast, sprinkle well with grated American cheese, and place under the broiler till the cheese is melted. (Cut the asparagus tips down to the size of the toast fingers.)
ANCHOVY CHEESE FINGERS
Arrange anchovy fillets on fingers of buttered toast. Sprinkle with a mixture of Switzerland Swiss and Parmesan cheese, grated. Put under the broiler to melt.
HAM AND CHEESE CANAPÉS
Arrange rounds of sliced baked ham on toast rounds. Sprinkle well with chopped chives, chopped pimiento, and grated Switzerland Swiss cheese. Place under a broiler till the cheese is thoroughly melted.
SHRIMP CANAPÉS
Mix one cup of chopped shrimp with a tablespoon of onion juice, two tablespoons of grated Switzerland Swiss cheese, and enough mayonnaise to bind; salt and pepper to taste. Pile on rounds of buttered toast and heat in a moderately hot oven.
1 can of imported snails
1 shallot, finely chopped
Pinch of thyme
1½ tablespoons of chopped parsley
Chop the snails. Sauté them in two tablespoons of butter in which you have melted the chopped shallot. Add the thyme and the parsley and pile high on rounds of buttered toast.
CURRIED SHRIMP CANAPÉS
Sauté a tablespoon of chopped onion in two tablespoons of butter. Add one and one half teaspoons of curry powder and a teaspoon of chutney. Sauté one pound of shrimp in this mixture; place them on rounds of buttered toast and sprinkle with chopped egg white and chopped parsley.
HAM AND SARDINE CANAPÉS
Mix together one half cup each of chopped ham and mashed sardines. Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, two teaspoons of chopped chives, and a tablespoon of chopped gherkin. Mix these well; pile on rounds of buttered toast; sprinkle with grated American cheese and grill.
EGG AND SARDINE CANAPÉS
Mix two hard-boiled eggs, chopped very fine, and a teaspoon each of chopped parsley, tarragon, and chives with one half cup of very thick Béchamel or cream sauce (thickened with egg yolks or arrowroot). Spread buttered toast fingers with this mixture and place a whole boneless and skinless sardine on each one. Sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan cheese and grill under the broiler till browned.
ANCHOVIED CHICKEN LIVER CANAPÉS
Sauté two or three chicken livers in two tablespoons of anchovy butter, or plain butter to which you have added some chopped anchovy fillets or a teaspoon of anchovy paste. Add a pinch of thyme to the pan as well. When the livers are cooked through, remove from the pan and chop with a teaspoon each of parsley and chives—chervil, too, if it is available. When thoroughly chopped, blend into a paste with the butter from the pan and a teaspoon of cognac. Pile on buttered rounds of toast. Heat in the oven a minute or two before serving.
CHICKEN GIBLET CANAPÉS
Use the recipe for chicken giblets in the section on hot sandwiches in the previous chapter. Pile the cooked giblets on rounds of buttered toast and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and put under the broiler to brown.
CRABMEAT CANAPÉS NO. 1
If the Dungeness crabs are available to you, take the leg meat of two crabs, carefully removed whole, and Sauté it in three tablespoons of butter to which you have added chopped parsley and chopped chives. When the legs are heated through and nicely browned, arrange them on fingers of well-buttered toast and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
CRABMEAT CANAPÉS NO. 2
Heat one cup of flaked crabmeat in half a cup of sauce Mornay (cream sauce to which you have added cheese). Spread on well-buttered rounds of toast, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, and grill until lightly browned.
Spread well-buttered fingers of toast with a spinach purée. Cover with a very heavy sauce Mornay, buttered breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, and chopped chives. Brown under the broiler.
Allumettes, according to their title, should be the size of a match, but they are actually oblongs about one by three inches.
ANCHOVY ALLUMETTES
Cut puff paste into strips about one by three inches. On each strip place a little fines herbes butter that has been well flavored with anchovy. Place one or two anchovy fillets on each allumette, and bake in a hot oven for ten or fifteen minutes or until well browned.
ALLUMETTES OF CHICKEN AND HAM
Spread strips of puff paste with chicken and ham paste. Place strips of cold chicken and ham on this and sprinkle with buttered crumbs. Bake in a hot oven for ten or fifteen minutes or till browned and cooked through.
ALLUMETTES OF CHEESE
Sprinkle grated Parmesan and Switzerland Swiss cheese on the strips of puff paste. Cover with thin strips of Switzerland Swiss cheese and bake in a hot oven till well browned.
CHICKEN ALLUMETTES
Place a strip of chopped chicken on each allumette. Cover with bits of sautéed chicken liver and bake in a hot oven for about fifteen minutes.
The tiny boat-shaped pastries I described at the beginning of this chapter should be made of flaky pastry baked in tiny boat-shaped tins, which you can buy in any kitchen equipment store.
Brown a chopped onion in two tablespoons of butter. Add two teaspoons of curry powder, a teaspoon of chutney, a teaspoon of chopped nuts, a teaspoon of grated coconut, and half a cup of cream. Thicken this with a tablespoon of arrowroot so that it obtains firmness not usually found in a sauce. Chop one cup of chicken meat very fine with a few almonds and place a heaping teaspoon in each barquette. Cover with the curry sauce; sprinkle with a little grated coconut and put under the broiler to glaze.
BARQUETTES OF LOBSTER
1 onion, chopped fine
2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
3 tablespoons of butter
½ cup of white wine
Parsley, tarragon, chervil
2–3 teaspoons of arrowroot for thickening
Meat of one cooked lobster of medium size, or one can of lobster meat
Sauté the onion and tomato in butter till they are melted and add the white wine and the chopped herbs. Let these simmer till well blended and if there is not enough moisture, add a little more wine. Salt and pepper to taste and stir in the arrowroot. When thickened, add the lobster which has been picked into small pieces. Let it poach in the sauce till well heated and fill the barquettes. Sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs and place under the broiler until browned.
Soak three lamb kidneys in salted water for three hours. Skin, remove the tendons, and chop very fine. Place two tablespoons of butter in an iron skillet, add one shallot, chopped very fine, and brown lightly. Chop one half cup of mushrooms and add those and the chopped kidneys and a pinch of thyme. Sauté gently till the kidneys are well browned and add one half cup of heavy cream mixed with two egg yolks. Stir over low heat till well thickened, but do not allow to boil. Fill the barquettes. Sprinkle with buttered crumbs and brown under the broiler.
CLAM BARQUETTES
Heat one can of minced razor clams in a double boiler. Add one half teaspoon of salt and one half teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Add one cup of heavy cream mixed with the yolks of two eggs and one and one half teaspoons of arrowroot powder. Stir gently till well thickened. Add one tablespoon of Madeira or sherry. Fill barquettes with this mixture, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and place under the broiler to brown.
ANCHOVY AND MUSHROOM BARQUETTES
Melt two tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Add two tablespoons of chopped onion, six anchovy fillets, chopped fine, and a cup of chopped mushrooms. Sauté them well till all are thoroughly blended and the onions and mushrooms slightly browned. Mix this well with just enough very heavy cream sauce to bind, and fill the barquettes with the mixture. Sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs and place under the broiler to brown.
Place two or three crawfish tails that have been cooked in a well-spiced broth in each barquette, and cover with a heavy Mornay sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and place under the broiler to brown.
BARQUETTES OF HAM
Mix one cup of chopped baked ham with two tablespoons each of chopped green pepper, chopped olive, and chopped onion. Add one tablespoon each of chopped parsley and chopped Brazil nuts. Blend these ingredients with two tablespoons of sherry and fill the barquettes. Cover with a Béchamel sauce and place under the broiler.
CRABMEAT BARQUETTES
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of chopped onion
2 tablespoons of chopped celery
1 cup of crabmeat, flaked
½ cup of breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon each of parsley and chives
Salt, pepper, tarragon
Melt the butter in an iron skillet and in it brown the onion and celery. Add the crabmeat, breadcrumbs, and herbs and seasonings, and mix well. If it is too dry, add two tablespoons of heavy cream to bind. Fill barquettes with this mixture, cover with sauce Mornay, and brown under the broiler.
Fry three or four slices of bacon very crisp; drain and crush into little bits. Mix with a half cup of grated Gruyère cheese and two well-beaten eggs. Salt and pepper to taste, pour into the barquette cases, sprinkle with a little more grated cheese, and place under the broiler till set.
SHRIMP BARQUETTES
Sauté a pound of shelled raw shrimp with two tablespoons of butter, a tablespoon of chopped onion, and a tablespoon of chopped parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Add one half cup of heavy cream and two egg yolks, and stir over low heat till well thickened, but do not allow to boil. Add two tablespoons of cognac and fill the barquette shells. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and buttered crumbs and place under the broiler.
Below are listed suggestions for many kinds of fritters, each item first to be dipped in the following batter:
FRITTER BATTER
2 cups of flour
4 tablespoons of butter, creamed
2 eggs, well beaten
Salt, pepper, nutmeg
1 cup of milk
Mix the flour and the creamed butter and add the eggs. Season with a pinch each of salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and add enough milk to make a batter the consistency of heavy cream. This should require about one cup. This batter is much better if made slightly in advance.
The fritters should be fried in deep fat, oil or leaf lard heated to about 380° F. They require about three or four minutes of cooking. Drain them well and serve on a napkin.
VEGETABLE FRITTERS
♦ Marinated buds of cooked cauliflower or raw cauliflower.
♦ Marinated hearts of artichoke, previously cooked.
♦ Tiny marinated onions.
♦ Marinated celery cubes.
♦ Marinated cubes of celery knob.
♦ Marinated mushrooms.
♦ Marinated Brussels sprouts.
♦ Marinated asparagus tips.
♦ Tiny raw tomatoes.
Suggested marinade for vegetables: French dressing made of olive oil and wine vinegar.
FISH FRITTERS
♦ Shrimp cooked in curry sauce.
♦ Lobster cubes that have been marinated in olive oil and sherry.
♦ Crab legs in curry sauce (see the sauce used for curried chicken barquettes).
♦ Tiny raw clams.
♦ Canned snails that have been marinated in olive oil and white wine with garlic.
MEAT FRITTERS
♦ Tiny hamburger balls previously browned in butter.
♦ Tiny cubes of sweetbreads previously parboiled and marinated in olive oil and white wine with onion.
♦ Tiny cubes of cold meats, marinated in olive oil and red wine with onion.
POULTRY FRITTERS
♦ Cubes of cold turkey or chicken marinated in oil and lemon juice with tarragon.
♦ Cubes of cold duck marinated in good red Burgundy.
♦ Dried prunes puffed in hot water, pitted, and stuffed with tiny sausages which have previously been fried.
♦ Tiny kumquats.
♦ Pickled walnuts.
♦ Small balls of liver paste rolled in chopped toasted Brazil nuts.
♦ Balls of the cheese mixtures (given in the cheese section of the chapter on cold hors d’oeuvre) rolled in chopped nuts.
Remember when you are frying fritters to dip your spoon into the hot fat before you pick up the article to be dipped into the batter. Then, after dipping it into the batter, lower the food tidbit gently into the boiling fat and let it cook for the necessary time.
Fritters should be served with toothpicks handy or with little skewers.
These tiny patty shells are made according to the rule given for puff paste in the Canapé chapter.
They are decorative and on the unusual side for cocktail service. They are sturdy finger food, for they have body and are easily popped into the mouth in one piece if the filling is juicy and can be depended upon to hold together if there are two bites.
You may use any of the fillings which were mentioned for the barquettes, with this reservation, that everything served in a bouchée must be chopped quite fine.
Also, use various creamed meats and fish but make the Béchamel sauce of a good stiff texture which will not run all over the gowns of the ladies and the ties of the gentlemen, not to speak of your own rugs.
Suggestions for bouchée fillings:
♦ Creamed chicken to which you have added a little white wine. Buttered crumbs on top before you brown under the broiler.
♦ Curried shrimp or lobster, using the curry sauce recipe given for fruit curry. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and coconut.
♦ A purée of green peas made by cooking a number of fresh mint leaves and several small white onions with two pounds of fresh peas or one package of frozen ones. Drain, add one eighth of a pound of butter, and force through a fine sieve. Decorate with tiny strips of pimiento.
♦ Chopped chicken livers and gizzards sautéed in butter with chopped onion and parsley. Fill bouchées with this mixture, top with a mushroom cap, and brown quickly under the broiler.
1 pair of sweetbreads, parboiled and skinned
3 tablespoons of butter
½ cup of chopped mushrooms
Pinch of tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
⅔ cup of heavy cream
Yolks of 2 eggs
¼ cup of Madeira
Salt, pepper
Chop the sweetbreads very fine. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the sweetbreads and mushrooms with a pinch of fresh tarragon or several leaves of dried tarragon that has been soaked in a little wine to freshen it, and the parsley. When the sweetbreads are slightly browned, add the cream that has been well mixed with the egg yolks and stir over low heat till thickened, but do not allow to boil. Add the Madeira a little at a time and remove from the fire. Salt and pepper to taste and fill the bouchées, sprinkle with buttered crumbs, and brown under the broiler.
SCALLOP BOUCHÉES
Scallops are a delicious addition to the cocktail menu and one that is welcomed by almost anyone who loves seafood. Try them this way:
1½ cups of scallops, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of butter
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon of onion juice
⅔ cup of heavy cream
Yolks of 2 eggs
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
Sauté the scallops in butter till lightly browned. Salt and pepper to taste and add the onion juice. Stir in the cream mixed with the egg yolk and the grated cheese. When well thickened, remove from the fire; fill the bouchées, top with grated cheese, and brown under the broiler.
Tiny croquettes are always welcome members of the hors d’oeuvre tray. For this type of service, the croquette mixture should be formed into tiny balls about the size of marbles or into small rolls about one inch long and very thin. Fry them in deep fat at a temperature of about 390° F. (or hot enough to brown a one-inch cube of bread in approximately three quarters of a minute). Drain them well and serve on a napkin.
Usually your meat or fish mixture is mixed with a heavy Béchamel sauce in the proportions given below and the whole blended well and shaped. Dip the croquettes into beaten egg and be sure they are completely submerged. Then dip in breadcrumbs and place in a frying basket which previously has been dipped into the hot fat. The average time for frying is about two to three minutes for this size croquette.
CHICKEN CROQUETTES
1 cup of cooked chicken
1 teaspoon of onion juice
Few drops of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of black pepper
⅔ cup of sauce, following page
Mix the chicken with seasonings and add the sauce. Allow this to cool, shape into balls, and fry.
⅓ cup of butter
3 tablespoons of arrowroot
1 cup of heavy cream
¼ teaspoon of salt
Use ⅔ cup of chicken stock and only ½ cup of cream if you wish. Melt the butter and add the arrowroot, or if this is unavailable, add well-sifted flour. Blend these well and cook for a minute. Stir in the cream and stock gradually and stir with a wire whisk. Once the sauce reaches the boiling point, simmer it for a minute or two.
CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM CROQUETTES
Proceed as for the chicken croquettes except for substituting half a cup of chopped cooked mushrooms for half the chicken. Omit the onion juice and add one tablespoon of sherry.
LOBSTER CROQUETTES
1 cup of lobster meat, shredded
1½ tablespoons of chopped mushrooms
¼ teaspoon of chopped tarragon
1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon of salt
⅔ cup of Béchamel Sauce for Croquettes (see above)
Mix the lobster, mushroom and seasonings and add the sauce. Cool, form into small balls, and fry.
Variation: Substitute one third cup of cold cooked rice for one third of the lobster meat and proceed as before.
The same proportions may be used for shrimp or crabmeat croquettes.
Cook twelve chestnuts till tender. Peel them and force through a sieve. Mix with one half teaspoon of salt, one third teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, one teaspoon of chopped parsley, one tablespoon of melted butter, one tablespoon of heavy cream, and two well-beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly, form into small balls, and fry. These should be served with chicken croquettes, for they are a nice contrast.
CLAM CROQUETTES
⅔ cup of minced razor clams
½ cup of cooked rice
2 teaspoons of melted butter
¼ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of black pepper
⅔ cup of Béchamel Sauce for Croquettes (see page 126)
In making the sauce, substitute clam broth for half the cream. Mix clams, rice and butter and add the seasonings. Mix with enough sauce to bind; form into balls and fry.
CODFISH CROQUETTES
1 cup of cooked, shredded, salt codfish
1½ cups of mashed potatoes
1 teaspoon of chopped parsley
½ teaspoon of ground ginger
½ teaspoon of black pepper
1 egg, well beaten
Breadcrumbs
Mix the shredded codfish and the mashed potatoes well. Add the seasonings and the well-beaten egg. Form into balls and dip in egg and breadcrumbs and fry.
Variation: The same mixture makes delicious small codfish cakes if you drop it by spoonfuls into a well-buttered skillet and sauté until a delicate brown.
Also delicious made with cooked finnan haddie or kippered herring.
BEEF CROQUETTES
1 cup of chopped roast beef
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of onion juice
1 teaspoon of dry mustard
½ cup of Béchamel Sauce for Croquettes (see page 126)
Mix the beef well with seasonings and add the sauce. Mold into small rolls and fry.
CORNED BEEF BALLS
1½ cups of corned beef hash (canned or from your own recipe)
1 teaspoon of chopped chives and parsley
1 teaspoon of chili sauce
1 egg, well-beaten
Egg, for dipping
Breadcrumbs, for coating
Mix the corned beef hash with the seasonings, sauce and add the well-beaten egg. Mold into balls and dip in beaten egg and crumbs and fry.
1 cup of ham, finely chopped
1 teaspoon onion juice
2 tablespoons of grated Switzerland Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon of chopped olive
½ cup of Béchamel Sauce for Croquettes (see page 126)
Egg, for dipping
Breadcrumbs, for coating
Mix the ham and seasonings and add the sauce. Blend well, form into balls, dip in beaten egg and breadcrumbs, and fry.
CHEESE CROQUETTES
2 eggs
½ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of dry mustard
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 cup of grated American cheese
1 cup of grated Swiss cheese
Egg, for dipping
Breadcrumbs, for coating
Separate the eggs and beat the whites very stiff. Mix the yolks and seasonings and add to the breadcrumbs. Mix well with the grated cheese and fold in the whites of egg. Form into balls or sticks, dip in beaten egg and breadcrumbs, and fry.
These are made with a puff paste or feuilletage and should be enchanting to look at and delicious to taste.
Roll out a sheet of puff paste quite thin and cut tops out of it with a fluted, round pastry cutter. Choose any size you desire, but remember they are eaten from the fingers; don’t go over an inch and one half or two inches in diameter.
Next roll out the paste again a bit thinner and cut the bottoms. Place them on a baking sheet, put a bit of the filling about the size of a nut on each piece and cover with the tops. Fit the two together neatly and press together around the edge so that the pasty is well shaped and tightly secured. Brush with egg or milk and bake in a hot oven about twelve to fifteen minutes.
Suitable fillings for pasties:
♦ Small patties of ground, lean cooked pork mixed with salt, thyme, pepper, and just a touch of dry mustard. One half pound of ground pork should make about ten pasties.
♦ Chopped chicken. One cup of chopped chicken with a tablespoon each of chopped parsley, chives, and egg yolk. Add one teaspoon of chopped tarragon, and bind with creamed butter.
♦ Anchovy. Spread the bottom crust with some anchovy butter and place two or three rolled anchovy fillets on it. Cover and press together.
♦ Chicken giblets. Sauté chopped livers, giblets, and hearts, about one and one half cups in all, in two tablespoons of butter. Add one half teaspoon of salt, a tablespoon each of chopped chives and parsley, and a few sprigs of tarragon. Add one half cup of chicken broth mixed with a teaspoon of arrowroot and let it thicken slightly.
♦ Beef pasties. Sauté three tablespoons of chopped onion and a clove of garlic, well chopped, in two tablespoons of butter. Add one-half pound of chopped, tender beef and brown well. Season with a teaspoon of salt, some freshly ground black pepper and a few leaves of thyme. Bind this with one half cup of double-rich broth or with a small quantity of brown sauce.
♦ Snails. A whole canned snail, sprinkled with chopped parsley and shallot and dotted with butter, makes an unusual and toothsome bite baked into a pasty.
Turnovers may be made with puff paste or with a plain pastry according to your own taste. I think the most inviting ones are the semicircular variety made by cutting out a large circle of dough and doubling it over. Brush with egg and bake in a hot oven from ten to fifteen minutes. They may be made with any chopped meat filling you may desire, highly seasoned of course; or any fish filling.
♦ May Massee, the New York editor of many delightful children’s books, always serves tiny turnovers made with rolled anchovy fillets that are to be found bottled, everywhere, and these turnovers are very popular with her guests.
♦ Grated American cheese, about one cup mixed with two teaspoons of Dijon mustard or two tablespoons of a good chili sauce and a bit of onion juice and a teaspoon of dry mustard, makes a delightful and easy filling for turnovers.
♦ For another, cut circles of paste three to four inches in diameter and spread the surface well with a mixture of one tablespoon of French mustard mixed with one teaspoon of dry mustard and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce. On each round place a cocktail frankfurter or a two-inch slice of a large frankfurter and fold over.
♦ Another very flavorful turnover is made from one cup of chopped smoked tongue mixed with one tablespoon each of chopped onion, horseradish and parsley. Bind this if necessary with a little sour cream.
♦ This is a particularly pleasant fish turnover, for the smoky flavor of the haddock seems to be a welcome one at cocktail time: Sauté one and one half cups of choice finnan haddie, which has been flaked first, in two tablespoons of butter with a little chopped parsley. Add one half cup of chopped cooked mushrooms, and mix it all with one cup of heavy cream sauce to which you have added two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Drop by spoonfuls on rounds of pastry and sprinkle with more Parmesan before folding. Pinch the edges and bake in hot oven (400° F.) until delicately browned and crisp.
♦ Whole sardines placed on pieces of pastry and sprinkled with lemon juice, chopped parsley, and chopped onion before folding over make delicious hot turnovers.
♦ One cup of chopped cold chicken or veal mixed with one half cup of curry sauce and one tablespoon of chutney makes a very good filling.
♦ Mash well the contents of a seven-ounce can of tuna fish. Add two tablespoons of chopped hard-boiled egg, and one tablespoon each of chopped parsley, olives, and chives. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice and a few grains of freshly ground black pepper. Place a tiny dot of butter on each mound before folding over the paste.
♦ Our old standby, ham, takes a little different form here for a change: Mix one half cup of dry breadcrumbs with one teaspoon of dry mustard, one half teaspoon of onion juice, two teaspoons each of finely chopped Brazil nuts and chopped raisins, a pinch of thyme, and enough Madeira or sherry to make a stiff paste. Spread this on three slices of cold baked ham and roll as tightly as possible. Cut in two-inch lengths and place on rounds of pastry. Fold and pinch together.
♦ Spread rounds of pastry with a good pâté mixed with butter. Place on this a tablespoon of chopped chicken first moistened with a little broth flavored with tarragon and white wine. Dot with butter and fold.
♦ Blend one half cup each of finely chopped cold chicken and ham and grated Switzerland Swiss cheese with a teaspoon each of French mustard and onion juice. Moisten with a tablespoon of tomato sauce and place on rounds of pastry.
♦ Sprinkle rounds of pastry with grated Parmesan cheese. On each piece place a square of filleted kippered herring. Dot with butter, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and chopped parsley, and fold.
The Switzerland Swiss Cheese Association, Inc., of New York once published a very interesting cookbook compiled by a number of great Swiss chefs. It is one of the most complete things of its kind, unfortunately not available in English.
I am including several recipes from that book which I feel are unusual and delicious. I ate these dishes first at a delightful party in the Cheese Cellar, at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, and determined to get the recipes for this book. I had the dishes both hot and cold, and found them satisfying both ways.
CHEESE TARTLETS NO. 1
Flaky pastry
4 eggs
6 ounces of grated Switzerland Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon of flour
⅔ cup of milk
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon each of pepper and nutmeg
Roll the pastry quite thin and fill tartlet shells or small muffin tins with the paste. Flute the edges with a cutter and prick the bottom of each shell with a fork. Beat the eggs slightly and add the cheese, flour, milk, and seasonings. Stir till well mixed and fill the tartlet shells two thirds full. Bake from twelve to fifteen minutes in a hot oven (425° F.).
CHEESE TARTLETS NO. 2
Line tartlet shells with pastry, flute the edges, and prick the paste. Into each shell put about one heaping teaspoon of grated Switzerland Swiss cheese (this will vary according to the size of the tartlet shell), and cover with the following mixture:
Mix two thirds cup of milk, one half cup of heavy cream, three eggs, a pinch of paprika, and salt and pepper to taste till the ingredients are well blended. Pour over the cheese mixture till shells are two thirds filled. Bake in a hot (450° F.) oven till the tarts are a deep yellow color. Serve very hot.
AUNT LIZZIE’S BACON TART
When I was a child, I spent many summers in a quiet spot on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. With the enthusiasm of childhood and the manifold attractions of the seashore I developed a gargantuan appetite. I had a Scots friend who often fed me huge bacon-and-egg tarts, which seemed then to be the most savory and succulent morsels in the world. Since that time, I have put this recipe into party clothes and it has become a popular item whenever I have people in for a party.
8 slices of bacon
1 teaspoon of chopped onion
6 eggs
6 tablespoons of milk
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
Salt, pepper, mustard
Flaky pastry
Fry the bacon till crisp, drain, and break into small pieces. Sauté the onion in a little of the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and add the milk, parsley, and seasoning to taste. Lastly, add the onion and bacon pieces and mix thoroughly.
Line the tart shells with flaky pastry and fill with the egg mixture. Bake in a moderate (350° F.) oven till the mixture is well set and serve very hot.
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of chopped onion
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
½ cup of chopped olives
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon of chopped green pepper
Salt, pepper, cloves
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
Thyme, tarragon
1½ cups of chopped cooked ham
Flaky pastry
2 eggs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat the olive oil in an iron skillet and brown the onion in it. Add the tomatoes, olives, garlic, and pepper and let this simmer for twenty minutes. Then add the spices and a pinch of leaf thyme and a pinch of leaf tarragon. The ham is added to this sauce and allowed to simmer till it is well saturated with the flavors.
Fill the tart shells, which have been made of flaky pastry and baked, with this mixture and pack firmly. Top with the following:
Beat the eggs well. Make a paste by folding in the Parmesan cheese and one teaspoon of salt. Top each tart with a tablespoon of this mixture and place under a low flame till the eggs are set and the tops nicely browned.
This is a substantial cocktail food that will be welcome on a cold day after a brisk ride or a football game.
Use plates and forks, the bread-and-butter size plate and any small fork. And have plenty of paper cocktail napkins around to use as a protection for the fingers and to save the good linen cocktail napkins.
BEEFSTEAK EN BROCHETTE
Alternate small cubes of good, tender steak and tiny white onions on a small skewer. Your butcher will gladly cut your steak into cubes for you; it should be a good sirloin or tenderloin cut. Let the cubes marinate in olive oil for about two hours before they are to be cooked. Remove from the oil and thread on the skewers. Place under a hot flame and brown very quickly on all sides. Salt and pepper them well and rush them to your guests on a hot plate. I assure you they will disappear like snow in the desert.
A plate of paper-thin slices of bread and butter could accompany this, and have various sauces arranged on your table for those who must gild the lily.
SHISH KEBAB FOR COCKTAILS
Arrange tiny cubes of lean lamb on a skewer with tiny, white onions and small tomatoes if they are in the market, or small slices of tomato. Broil these till nicely browned, season them, and arrange on a hot plate.
KIDNEY AND LAMB EN BROCHETTE
Alternate cubes of lean lamb, small pieces of lamb kidney, and tiny mushroom caps on small skewers. Broil under a medium flame till nicely browned. Season to taste and serve on a hot plate.
Cut chicken livers into small pieces and wrap in thin slices of bacon. Arrange nicely on small skewers and broil.
SEAFOOD EN BROCHETTE
Choose small oysters and scallops at your fish market. Wrap the oysters in thin slices of bacon and the scallops in thinly sliced strips of ham. Alternate oysters and scallops on skewers and broil till well browned.
Smoked oysters may be substituted for fresh ones if you so desire.
KIDNEYS AND MUSHROOMS EN BROCHETTE
Cut lamb kidneys into small cubes and brown them very quickly in butter into which you have put a clove of crushed garlic. Place a cube of kidney between two small mushroom caps so that it makes a small ball shape. Place two or three of these on skewers and broil until the mushrooms are browned. Salt and pepper to taste.
LIVER STRUDEL ROLLS
The following recipe is one of the many created by Nata Lee, who was one of the more unusual caterers in New York. She was truly a food stylist, for not only did she know good food, but she always used her imagination to develop ideas which were not only smart but practical as well.
Paste
¼ pound of sweet butter
¼ pound of cream cheese
¼ pound of flour
Work into a dough with the fingers. Chill thoroughly and roll out very thin.
Filling
1 medium large onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons chicken fat
¼ green pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
¼ pound of calf’s liver, diced
whites of 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Brown the onion in the chicken fat with the pepper, celery, and calf’s liver. Blend in the chopped egg whites. Put entire mixture through the meat grinder. Cool, and season to taste. Cut the dough into three-inch squares and place a pencil-shaped roll of the liver mixture on each square. Roll, seal with unbeaten egg white, chill, and bake at 450° F. for about twenty minutes.
For the inventive, imaginative cook, international dishes present a constant and stimulating challenge. Here is a national dish of Iraq and one that makes an ideal hot hors d’oeuvre. You will serve this again and again once you hear the opinion of your guests.
Take two pounds of lean lamb, cut from the leg or the shoulder, and put it through the fine grinder twice. Place the meat in a wooden mixing bowl and salt it well, about two teaspoons. Knead the meat with your hands until it is a firm paste. Run an onion through the grinder to get out all the bits of meat that are left and mix this into the meat paste.
Soak three quarters of a pound of cracked wheat in water for ten minutes and wash thoroughly under running water. Add salt and pepper to this, about one teaspoon of each, and then mix with the lamb with your hands.
Put this mixture through the fine grinder again and mix it again with your hands.
Pour melted butter into a rectangular baking pan and cover the entire surface of the pan with it. Take about half the lamb mixture and cover the bottom of the pan with it, pressing it down well with the hands.
Brown one and one half cups of diced lamb and about three quarters of a cup of chopped onion in butter and spread this over the layer of lamb paste. Add a couple of handfuls of pine nuts. Cover this with another layer of the paste and cut in squares. Over this pour a cup of melted butter and bake in a moderate (325° F.) oven till it has cooked through, thirty to forty-five minutes. Cut in small squares and serve very hot.
To one pound of chopped lean sirloin add two tablespoons of onion juice, a small clove of garlic, minced and crushed, and two tablespoons of heavy cream. Mix well and form into tiny balls the size of marbles. Fry very quickly in butter and season to taste. Serve on toothpicks.
NUTBURGER BALLS
Proceed as above except for adding three quarters of a cup of chopped walnuts to the mixture.
SAUSAGE BALLS
To one pound of ground, fresh pork add two teaspoons of salt, a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, some finely chopped thyme and sage, and a few grains of cayenne. Form into small balls and fry slowly in a little butter.
CRABMEAT ROLLS
Take large sections of fresh crabmeat and marinate them for two hours in olive oil, a little vinegar, and salt and pepper with a crushed clove of garlic in the dish. Drain the crabmeat well, wrap bits of it in thin strips of bacon or raw ham, and broil the rolls. Serve on toothpicks.
You may use this same method for lobster cubes or shrimp.
If you are in a part of the country where you can procure small oysters, the following will prove a popular dish on your menu. I have always made it with the Olympia oysters from Puget Sound and they are ideal for it.
Dip two dozen oysters in egg and breadcrumbs and fry them in butter, very quickly. Salt and pepper them well, sprinkle with a little lemon juice and chopped parsley, and place each oyster in a tiny hot baking-powder biscuit which has been split and buttered.
BROILED OYSTERS AND BACON
Shuck and drain oysters. Marinate in dry white wine seasoned with finely chopped garlic to taste and a little freshly ground black pepper. Let stand for about an hour. Drain the oysters again, and wrap each in a thin piece of raw bacon. Broil just until the bacon is crisp.
BROILED OYSTERS FINES HERBES
On each oyster left on the half shell place a teaspoon of fines herbes butter. Sprinkle with buttered crumbs and a little grated Switzerland Swiss cheese and place under the broiler till browned.
Melt two tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add one cup of water and one half teaspoon of salt. When the water boils, add gradually one cup of sifted flour. Stir this constantly till it makes a thick, smooth batter which will not adhere to the sides of the pan or to the spoon. Remove this from the fire and cool. Then add, a little at a time, three well-beaten eggs and one cup of grated American cheese. Have oil heated in a deep fat fryer to 390° F. (until a square of bread browns in one minute). Dip the cheese batter into the frying basket in small spoonfuls, always dipping the spoon in the fat before dipping into the batter. Fry until golden brown and drain well on paper towels.
STUFFED MUSHROOMS NO. 1
Poach one half pound of any white fish in a little water to which you have added a slice of lemon, a few peppercorns, some parsely, and salt. When it is cooked through and drained, flake it and remove all bones. Mix it with one egg, well-beaten, a tablespoon of chopped parsley, a teaspoon of salt, and a little white wine. Fill mushroom caps with this mixture, sprinkle with buttered crumbs and chopped parsley, and brown under the broiler.
STUFFED MUSHROOMS NO. 2
Sauté one half cup of finely chopped veal or lamb kidney in two tablespoons of butter with one tablespoon of chopped shallot or chives. Mix this with one half cup of finely pulverized crisp bacon and one egg, well-beaten. Add a tablespoon of Madeira. Fill mushroom caps with this mixture, sprinkle with buttered crumbs, and brown under the broiler.
Slice brioche in slices about one eighth of an inch thick. Spread with butter, and on half of them put a thin slice each of ham, chicken, and Switzerland Swiss cheese. Cover with another piece of brioche, dip in beaten egg and milk as you would for French toast and Sauté quickly in butter till nicely browned on both sides. Serve very hot.
This same process may be used substituting anchovy fillets for the chicken.
COCKTAIL CRÊPES
These are thin, rolled pancakes with savory fillings. They are attractive as well as delicious. Or, instead of rolling them, you may stack them with filling in between and then slice the stack.
3 eggs
⅞ cup of flour
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of Cognac
4 tablespoons of melted butter
Milk
Beat the eggs and combine with the flour, salt, Cognac, and butter. Add just enough milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of heavy cream. Let the batter stand an hour or so before cooking.
Cook the pancakes one at a time in a tiny skillet. Heat butter in the skillet until bubbly and pour in just enough batter to spread over the bottom of the pan. Tilt the skillet to let the batter run evenly. When the crêpe is brown on the bottom, turn it over to brown the other side. Keep warm in a very low oven until all the crêpes are cooked.
Spread with filling and roll; or spread with filling, stack, and slice.
Unless these are made very small and the fillings are very firm, you will need forks and plates for this service.
Suggested fillings for crêpes:
♦ Diced chicken and sliced blanched almonds in a thick Béchamel sauce.
♦ Chopped mushrooms in a thick Béchamel sauce.
♦ Shrimps or lobster in a thick curry sauce.
♦ Spread each crêpe with foie gras and sprinkle with a few chopped pistachio nuts and roll.
♦ Sautéed chopped chicken giblets bound with a little heavy cream.
♦ Add two thirds of a cup of grated Gruyère cheese to one cup of heavy Béchamel sauce. Roll in pancakes.
♦ Caviar and sour cream.
♦ Diced ham or tongue in a heavy meat sauce flavored with Madeira.
