Wednesday, 30 December 2009

• New Year's Eve Appetizers

  This is a guest post from Thibeault's Table.
  

  
  

  
  A few suggestions for appetizers to serve on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Some of my tried and true favorites.

  
  
  Escargot In Mini Toast Cups
  ===========================
  Source: Elegant Entertaining Cookbook - M. Sable
  
  Recipe:
  

  • 1 loaf of white bread
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1 can escargot (36 to 50 size)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 shallots
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • Option:  Puff Pastry instead of toast cups)

  
  Directions: Preheat oven to 400° Cut crusts off bread and roll out very thin. Cut 2 inch rounds and fit each round gently into a well buttered 1 1/4 muffin tin. Brush tops of rounds with melted butter and bake them for 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from tins and cool.
  In a medium sauce pan combine wine, chicken stock and shallots, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid to 1/3 cup. Stir in cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Reduce liquid to 1/2 cup. Add escargot. Remove bay leaf and stir in butter. Fill each croustade with 1 or 2 escargot and some of the sauce. Sprinkle with minced parsley.
  
  Also try these:
  
  

  
  

   Serve in larger toast cups for a first course at the table
  
  

  Blue Cheese Tartlets 
  

  
  

  Recipe 
  
  

  Escargot Stilton
  

  
  

  Recipe - Escargot Stilton
  
  Focaccia  Topped with Warm Goat Cheese
  

  
  

  with Tapenade and Roasted Red Peppers
  Recipe 
  
  
  La Gougere
  This is one of my son's favourites
  

  
  

  Recipe for La Gougere
  
  Layered Crab and Spinach Terrine
  

  
  

  
  Layered Crab And Spinach Terrine
  ================================
  From the California Culinary Academy
  
  Crab Layer
  

  • 1/2 pound crab meat, picked over and flaked
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 large eggs

  Spinach Layer
  

  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons flour
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 2/3 cup half and half
  • 1 1/4 pounds cooked spinach
  • Drained and squeezed to remove excess moisture
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • salt to taste

  Sauce
  Mix together:
  

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced roasted red pepper
  • 1 clove of minced garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste.
  • Chives for garnish

  
  Directions: Preheat oven to 375°F.  For the crab layer:  In a medium bowl combine the crab, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne.  Stir in eggs and set mixture aside.
  
  For the Spinach layer:  Melt butter in a heavy saucepan until foamy.  Whisk in flour and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Whisk in whipping cream and half-and-half.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer slowly 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally, scraping down the sides and around the bottom as necessary.  Mixture will thicken as cooks. Remove from heat and stir in spinach.  Let cool.  Stir in eggs, one at a time then add black pepper, nutmeg, sugar and salt.
  
  To assemble the terrine:  Grease an 8 cup loaf pan/terrine pan with butter.  Spoon half the crab mixture in the bottom and cover with all of the spinach mixture.  Spoon remaining crab mixture over the spinach. Set the terrine in a baking pan and pour 1 inch of hot water into the baking pan. Bake uncovered until golden brown and puffy.  Approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Cool on a rack and then refrigerate. To serve, run a knife around the edge and invert on to a serving platter.  Slice about 1/2 thick slices and place two on each plate.  Decorate plate with a lettuce leaf and place a dollop of the sauce on the lettuce leaf.  Garnish with a few chives.
  

  
  

  Mushrooms and Pimento in Puff Pastry
  

  (Spanish Tapa)
  

  
  

  
  

  Recipe - Mushroom and Pimento in Puff Pastry
  

  
  

  Tuna Pate
  

  Don't let the name throw you off.  This is a very rich buttery pate.  One of my favourites.
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Recipe - Tuna Pate
  

  
  

  Jacques Pepin's Chicken Liver Pate
  

  
  

   Recipe - Jacques Pepin's Chicken Liver Pate
  

  
  

  
  

  

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