Appetizer Platter for Martini Party

[bleudauvergne]

Another American friend of mine here in Lyon is throwing a "Martini Party". I have quizzed him on the issue and he is from the old school - Martinis with gin and vermouth for him. However, I mentioned the idea of stuffing the olive with blue cheese - something I learned about here on eGullet, and he's curious! His wife who is French will have none of that - she wants a whole range of cocktails. I believe their common goal is to get everyone plastered.

I have already decided to do a small platter of olives stuffed with various different things, perhaps even a seperate platter of them, since olives are plentiful here and it would be a fun thing to do, and another platter of eats for the rest of the guests... I have already taken cuisina's suggestion of purchasing a device that pits the olives (and cherries too).

Has anyone seen finger food platters at cocktail parties that struck them as interesting? What, in your mind, is the perfect accompaniment (aside from olives) to a martini? I want to do something that tastes good with gin and will take the edge off, since I know this is not a sit down dinner. They asked me to do the platter, knowing I am type eG. Suggestions will be well rewarded with photos.

p.s. Although I am currently on a "regime", my platter does not have to be, i.e. I can do breads and feuilletée things, just need ideas!

Edited June 1, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[Suzanne F]

Nothing works as well with a REAL Martini as a combination of cheese and flour, heavy on the fat:

Cheese sticks. Either the kind made from mille feuille dough cut in strips and sprinkled with cheese before baking, or the cheese-butter-flour dough kind (I use a variation of a James Beard recipe).

Gougeres. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Or savory profiteroles -- you could fill them with all kinds of fatty, savory pastes.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Nothing works as well with a REAL Martini as a combination of cheese and flour, heavy on the fat:

savory profiteroles -- you could fill them with all kinds of fatty, savory pastes.

Warning: this message NOT approved by the United States Surgeon General.

fats and flour.. what a friend we have in them!!

[JAZ]

Steamed artichokes are amazing with true martinis -- the artichoke smooths out the martini and the martini lessens the weird metallic aftertaste of the artichokes. But I'm not sure how you'd incorporated them into finger foods and I'm not sure how they'd be with other cocktails.

On the other hand, marinated artichoke hearts would undoubtedly work well too.

I also ran across a recipe for gin-and-vermouth-marinated shrimp served with a "martini aioli" -- a mayonnaise with a touch of vermouth and gin, plus lemon zest, minced juniper berries, and chopped cocktail onions and olives mixed in. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds fabulous.

[bleudauvergne]

This is how I am going to get rid of all of the flour I have in the cabinet.

Yes, I was also thinking of smoked salmon profiteroles.

JAZ, where did you see the recipe for the marinated shrimp?

Edited June 1, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[slkinsey]

For the artichokes, either carciofi fritti (bite sized pieces of artichoke -- either halved babies or guartered larger ones -- battered and fried) or carciofi alla Giudea (large artichokes de-choked, flattened out and deep fried in evoo) would work well.

[herbacidal]

Gougeres. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Damm, you beat me to it.

Alternatively known as cheesy puffs.

You could make cheesey poofs, named after South Park.

[slkinsey]

Gougeres made with velveeta = les poufs fromagent

[DrinkBoy]

I'll agree that Janet's recommendation for artichoke works quite well with Martini's, as does the mayonnaise that is often used for dipping.

I recently worked up the drinks to accompany a couple of the dinners for the "Tales of the Cocktail" in New Orleans, and for one of them I chose a martini variation that I thought worked very well in my tests.

The appetizer is:

Shrimp Remoulade

Boiled Louisiana shrimp served in cold in a tangy horseradish and Creole mustard remoulade dressing

And the cocktail I worked up is:

“Tillicum Cocktail”

Gin, Vermouth and Peychaud Bitters with smoked salmon garnish

Essentially just a normal Martini, but with Peychaud's bitters instead of orange (oh, and by "normal" I mean a 3 parts gin to 1 part dry vermouth... or "my" normal :-) Even with a regular Martini I like the smoked salmon garnish. To be frugal, you can try searching out someplace that sells "scraps" of smoked salmon (this is what I do). Little bits that are leftover trimmings. Not useful for much, but are usually perfectly sized for use as a cocktail garnish.

-Robert

[beans]

That trip to New Orleans looks like fun Robert. I like that you'll be coming from Seattle with cocktail that incorporates smoked salmon.

I've a good friend and coworker bartending in New Orleans in the French Quarter on Bourbon Street, that I'd like to visit. Perhaps that would be the time to do it.

[mags]

If you like Janet's idea of steamed artichokes, you could go with just the hearts, and stuff them with fatty, yummy stuff -- goat cheese, would be great, maybe softened with some olive oil, with some fresh thyme mixed in? Or a creamy fish thing -- I'm thinking something like a mayo or creme-fraiche salad made with smoked whitefish or smoked trout? Or hell, stuff the hearts with pate and bake'em. Barbara Kafka has a recipe for something like that that looks delicious.

[winesonoma]

Crustless Brioche, Smoked Salmon, Creme Fresh or cheese your choice soft; fresh mild goat; wassabie caviar. Open Sonoma Oreo.

[bleudauvergne]

These are all fabulous ideas. The artichoke hearts and shrimp are on the list.

Robert: Can you give me some insight on what the spices would be in the creole mustard?

edit to say I've searched and found one recipe for this incorporating a dry white wine based infusion of garlic, celery seeds, allspice, cloves, & nutmeg into a tarragon mustard. Is this the creole mustard you are referring to, or is yours more heat oriented?

Peychaud bitters are also on my shopping list.

Thanks.

Edited June 2, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[DrinkBoy]

I don't have the exact recipes that will be used at the dinner, just the descriptions, from that I made up what I hope was a close approximation of what the actual dish will be. For the Creole Mustard I used a gourmet mustard that said... well... "Creole Mustard" on the label :->

[balmagowry]

Back on the fatty-cheesy side - I'm suddenly reminded of a cheese puff sort of thing my mother used to serve with drinks when I was little, one of those Clever Unguessable Recipes of the Suburban 50s which later passed out of her repertoire as her cooking became more sophisticated and adventurous. The thing is, the combination of flavors really did work - and I don't think it would be at all difficult to develop a more "grown-up" version. As I remember one made a thickish paste of mayonnaise, grated parmesan, and grated onion; spread it on smallish pieces of toast; browned it under the broiler. Back then, of course, it was Hellman's Mayo and Wonder Bread and, no doubt, Kraft pre-grated parmesan - though it sure looked/smelled/tasted more exciting than the sum of those parts. But imagine it with fresh parmesan and your own mayonnaise (even a light aioli, maybe?), on something more interesting though not too assertive by way of bread. Or pastry. Or artichoke hearts! I think it has potential.

[Suzanne F]

Definitely on top of artichoke bottoms!

Edited June 3, 2004 by Suzanne F (log)

[balmagowry]

Definitely on top of artichoke bottoms!

Yeah, the more I think about that the better I like it. I suppose one should be wary of gussying up that sort of recipe too much - sometimes there's actually a reason for using the most boring mundane bread in the world, as a foil for other strong flavors. But what the hell. Artichokes and mayo/aioli is already a proven combination. Onion. Cheese. What's not to like?

[elfin]

Being a product of my parents' cocktail parties in the late fifties and early sixties (Martinis and Manhattens were the drinks dejour) my mom made appetizers that focused on salt, salt and more salt. What better excuse to drink another! The easiest but always the first to go was green olives wrapped in bacon (fresh from the broiler). It is a fav at my parties now. Also, anchovy brochettes made on flat bread with onion, tomato and a dash of fresh oragano (or basil).

[hathor]

How about some freshly made potato chips with salt and pepper? Salt, fat and starch all in one crispy bite.

[Bux]

Caviar, but what a waste if the intent is to get everyone plastered. Any salt, fat and protein should work. Canapés with rillettes or brandade. I've made brandade without potatoes (okay maybe technically it was just cod puree) but offhand I can't think of a base for the canapé. I've also made salmon "rillettes" on cucumber slices. The recipe was cooked salmon and smoked salmon combined with (whoops) butter, capers, minced shallots and fine herbes. Clearly, the Dr. Montignac régime is an obstacle course for me.

[mags]

Rillettes maybe on slices of daikon or radish? Or apple, actually, though that might be a bit astringent next to the martinis. And brandade on endive leaves?

[JAZ]

JAZ, where did you see the recipe for the marinated shrimp?

I hope this isn't too late -- I couldn't find the recipe.

Martini Prawns

Bring to a boil: 1/2 cup dry vermouth, 1/4 cup gin, a teaspoon or so of crushed juniper berries, and salt and pepper.

Stir in 1-1/2 pounds large shrimp or prawns, cover and cook for a minute or two, or until about half cooked. Remove from heat and stir the prawns. Let them cool in the liquid (they'll continue to cook as the liquid cools) and then refrigerate until chilled.

The aioli recipe is just a basic mayonnaise, but add 1-1/2 tsp grated lemon zest and 1/2 tsp crushed juniper berries along with the lemon juice, egg yolks and garlic to start. After you beat in the oil, stir in a teaspoon each of gin and vermouth, about 1/4 cup each minced stuffed olives and minced cocktail onions plus a tablespoon of chopped parsley.

[bleudauvergne]

Caviar, but what a waste if the intent is to get everyone plastered. Any salt, fat and protein should work. Canapés with rillettes or brandade. I've made brandade without potatoes (okay maybe technically it was just cod puree) but offhand I can't think of a base for the canapé. I've also made salmon "rillettes" on cucumber slices. The recipe was cooked salmon and smoked salmon combined with (whoops) butter, capers, minced shallots and fine herbes. Clearly, the Dr. Montignac régime is an obstacle course for me.

Bux, the things I'll be cooking today are definitely not Montignac. I am cooking these for my friends to eat -- It's a good way to use up all the flour in the house!

Today is the day of the party. Off to the market!

[bleudauvergne]

What I ended up doing was a platter, around the outside was shrimp, and a mountain of stuffed quartered artichoke hearts. Things were rather rushed at the end in getting to the party so I was not able to take a photo of the platter. I did, however, get a photo of the artichokes before they went into the oven. I also made one of those classic spinach dips in the bread bowl.

The bread in the boule was slightly moist and flexible, so in hollowing out the bowl, I just pulled it all out with my hands and had a bunch of bread that I could not make into proper dipping pieces. I tore it into little pieces, and toasted it in the oven. the pieces were browning around the edges when I took them out, and I broke them up a little bit more in a large bowl and added I'd say 1.5 cups of creme fraiche to that, a variety of fresh torn herb leaves including thyme, parsley and sage, a good dose of fleur de sel, lots of white pepper, and a cup of grated comte cheese. I had 2 thick slabs of mountain cured ham, which I sliced into sticks, and made cris crosses across the emptied artichoke hearts. The stuffing, which was moist but with the bread crumbs held up quite well, was mounded into the artichoke hearts over the ham, and I baked them at 200c/400f for 20 minutes, until the tops browned.

Once out of the oven, I tested them on some people who had stopped by for a bite to eat before we all went to the party to make sure they were acceptable.

I then cut the rest into quarters with a very sharp knife, and skewered each one. I made a mountain of them in the center of the platter and scattered large whole green olives all around the edges. The platter as a whole in my opinion was very - martini.

Thank you and my apologies for not getting better pictures.

Edited June 7, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)