Appetizer/Hors D'Oeuvre/Starter Ideas

[gsquared]

A favourite over here is a form of fritter - prepare a basic, fairly stiff yeast-based bread dough (flour, water, yeast, sugar, salt) and add a good dollop of dried chillies to the flour before mixing. Allow one rise. Deflate, heat oil (about 190C), form golf-ball sized portions from the dough, flatten a little and deep-fry. If you fry until really crisp, they keep well and can be served cold - do not try to keep for longer than 3-4 hours, though.

[KNorthrup]

Slaw is a great choice in my opinion. Pork and cabbage are incredibly compatible.

It's not very exciting or gourmet, but something I've noticed is that the first thing to disappear at parties is deviled eggs. No matter how many you make. And there are actually some great variations out there -- curry, truffle oil, wasabi and ginger.

[KateW]

Ok, I think I'm gonna make guacamole and stuffed mushrooms. Can I prepare the stuffed mushrooms and do everything but bake them? Or should I hold the stuffing aside until I'm ready to bake?

[=Mark]

My brother's Chicken Salad Sunrise. Saffron heaven!

[Rachel Perlow]

If you par bake the stemmed shrooms (upside down on a rack) and then cool them before stuffing them, I think you could stuff them and keep chilled and bring to the party to bake.

[KateW]

If you par bake the stemmed shrooms (upside down on a rack) and then cool them before stuffing them, I think you could stuff them and keep chilled and bring to the party to bake.

Ok, so how long and what temp?

[Basilgirl]

The thing that always goes first is tortilla roll-ups. Take some softened cream cheese, add green chiles from a can and a little salsa, spread over flour tortillas, roll up, wrap up in plastic wrap, refrigerate, take to party, unwrap plastic wrap, cut into 1-1/2" pieces, serve with salsa for dipping. I can never make enough of these.

Deviled eggs are a very close second, though.

[Jaymes]

Gazpacho - Or Mexican shrimp cocktails - which are kinda like a Mexican shrimp gazpacho.

Make it up in a couple of big pitchers, and buy some of those cute little plastic cups and plastic spoons. You just pour it out into the cups and everyone can stand around and crunch its cool goodness.

[bigbear]

Scallop ceviche. No cooking involved.

[WHT]

Besides mushrooms, one of my personal favorites. How about Shrimp? So many things you can do with them on a grill. Yakatori (SP) type skewers of different items would also be a quick and nice item.

[KateW]

Scallop ceviche. No cooking involved.

Actually I was thinking about scallop seviche because my mom likes it a lot, but I've never prepared scallops before and well, you know what they say about preparing something new for lots of people. Don't do it

I don't know how to remove the tough part of the scallop. If I can be convinced that it's not that hard, I'll do it ;)

[Fat Guy]

Deviled eggs are a very close second, though.

This is the one people will remember you for.

[KateW]

Actually I'm liking the scallop idea. It's so refreshing and we're not having any other seafood, unless my uncle brings smoked salmon, which I suspect he will do. It's been a staple at our get togethers because I've liked it since I was a little kid.

[Jinmyo]

Deviled eggs are a very close second, though.

This is the one people will remember you for.

Sad, but true.

And they are good.

[KateW]

Joy of Cooking says refrigerate the seviche no longer than 90 minutes. Does that mean if I make it tonight, or even tomorrow morning, it will be no good in a few hours?

[stagis]

Devilled egg agreement - at least to the point that they'll all disappear....... We should probably test this assumption at somebody else's picnic and bring like a gazillion deviled eggs. I haven't see the limit reached yet.

[Jinmyo]

Joy of Cooking says refrigerate the seviche no longer than 90 minutes.  Does that mean if I make it tonight, or even tomorrow morning, it will be no good in a few hours?

Ack.

Yes!

[KateW]

Devilled egg agreement - at least to the point that they'll all disappear.......  We should probably test this assumption at somebody else's picnic and bring like a gazillion deviled eggs.  I haven't see the limit reached yet.

We should have an egullet party and all bring deviled eggs.

[Jinmyo]

Devilled egg agreement - at least to the point that they'll all disappear.......  We should probably test this assumption at somebody else's picnic and bring like a gazillion deviled eggs.  I haven't see the limit reached yet.

I can usually eat no more than three large chicken eggs. (As an upper limit. Usually just two.)

But somehow I can eat ten or twelve devilled egg halves.

[KateW]

Screw it, bags of chips and tostitos salsa isn't sounding so bad now ;) Just kidding. I'll probably just throw something together. Recipes are too binding.

[awbrig]

We should probably test this assumption at somebody else's picnic and bring like a gazillion deviled eggs

Please dont.

[KateW]

Well I am gonna see what I can find.

[bigbear]

Joy of Cooking says refrigerate the seviche no longer than 90 minutes.  Does that mean if I make it tonight, or even tomorrow morning, it will be no good in a few hours?

Ack.

No!

[Rachel Perlow]

If you par bake the stemmed shrooms (upside down on a rack) and then cool them before stuffing them, I think you could stuff them and keep chilled and bring to the party to bake.

Ok, so how long and what temp?

I just looked at a jillion stuffed mushroom recipes through a google search and the only one I could find that said to pre-cook the mushroom caps before stuffing is this one for the microwave. I just hate stuffed mushroom where the mushroom is undercooked or the stuffing gets watery from the mushrooms leaching their liquid. Here's a simple recipe, but it is kind of poorly formatted, but the ingredients are simple. I'd skip the wine and bake the mushrooms for 5-10 minutes before stuffing (cool first).

Hmm, here's that recipe adapted as I describe above which should work. If you make it please let me know how it comes out and I'll add it to the recipe archive.

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 lb. fresh mushrooms with caps (somewhat large ones)

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 minced medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 stick (8 Tbs.) butter

1 cup bread crumbs

1/4 fresh chopped parsley

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove mushroom stems and place caps emptly stem side down on a foil lined and lightly oiled sheet pan. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until they have exuded some liquid, but are not fully cooked. Remove from oven and allow to cool, preferably on a rack. Meanwhile, chop the mushroom stems. Heat a saute pan and when hot add olive oil, onions, chopped mushrooms and garlic, cook until the onions are translucent. Turn heat to low and add butter to pan to allow it to melt. Combine the bread crumbs, parsley and cheese. After the vegetables and butter have cooled a bit, mix in the dry ingredients. Using a teaspoon, mold a small amount into each mushroom cap. You can refridgerate or freeze for baking later at this point. Bake on a lightly oiled sheet pan for 15 minutes at 350 F if cold (about 20 if they are still frozen), about 10 minutes if cooking immediately.

[lamb]

I made this from the eG Recipes site and it was a huge hit (Thanks =Mark )

=Mark's Baked Brie

I dunno - I just can't bring myself to eat deviled eggs - guess I'm missing out.

Edited June 13, 2003 by lamb (log)