Cold Hors d'Oeuvres
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 2 to 4 servings for each hors d'oeuvres
Ingredients
Stuffed Eggplant Halves:
6 ounces calves liver, cubed
1 clove garlic, smashed
3 medium onion, about 1/2 pound, chopped coarsely
1 slice white bread, cubed
2 tablespoons clarified butter
2 small eggplants, halved and the seeded pulp scooped out, chopped, and reserved
Freshly ground salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon salad oil
Rice Pilaf:
2 tablespoons clarified butter
1/4 cup finely sliced onion
1/2 cup long grain rice, washed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Freshly ground salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
Parsley, to taste
Shrimp:
1 tablespooon clarified butter
6 large shrimp, shells on
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup dry white wine
Freshly ground salt
Freshly ground pepper
Belgian Endive:
2 Belgian endive
1/2 English cucumber, cubed
Freshly ground salt
Freshly ground pepper
Oil and vinegar, to taste
Spanish Onions:
2 tablespoons clarified butter
1 Spanish onion, sliced thick
2 shallots, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
Freshly ground salt
For Cucumber:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
5 ounces heavy cream
1 English cucumber
Mushrooms:
1/8 cup clarified butter
1/2 lemon, juiced
12 button mushrooms
1/8 cup olive oil
Freshly ground salt
Freshly ground pepper
Directions
- For stuffed eggplant halves: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In food processor or meat grinder, combine liver, garlic, onion, and bread. Heat saute pan with clarified butter. Add meat mixture and eggplant pulp. Saute for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon this mixture into the eggplant halves and place in a casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with salad oil. Cool before cutting into sections and serving.
- For rice pilaf: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat butter in saute pan. Cook onions. Add rice and peppers and continue to saute. Add chicken stock. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs. Pour into a casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. Once cool, adjust seasoning.
- For shrimp: Heat clarified butter in saute pan. Add shrimp and garlic. Cook, turning shrimp once, till done. Remove to bowl and sprinkle with white wine. Let cool. Season with salt and pepper.
- For Belgian endive: Blanch the endive in boiling water for one minute and add cucumber. Cook another 30 seconds. Drain and cool. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with oil and vinegar.
- For Spanish onions: Heat clarified butter in saute pan over low heat. Add onion slices. Cook for a few minutes on one side. Turn and cook on other side, adding shallots and scallions to pan. Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove all, including pan juices, to a bowl and cool.
- For cucumber: Combine vinegar, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and cream in a pan. Gradually bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Chill. Blanch cucumber in boiling water for one minute. Slice. Place hot cucumber in bowl and cover with dressing. Chill.
- For mushrooms: Heat butter and lemon juice in a saute pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms. Then add the oil. Cook gently. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into bowl and cool.
Cook’s Note
Extra hors d'oeuvres ideas: Haricot beans with chopped chives, scallions, parsley, and white wine vinegar Black olives Pickled Herring Beets in red wine vinegar