HORS D' OEUVRES

“It's so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someone's fingers have been all over it.” - Julia Child

Some of the most satisfying meals I have had, have been non-meals. What do I mean? Well by satisfying I mean that even though I was quite hungry to begin with, I felt satiated after partaking of the food; and by a non-meal, I mean that it did not involve sitting down at a table and having course after course of a formal repast. However, what I am not talking about “fast-food”, take-aways and eating on the run (and other such uncivilised behaviour).

Many a satisfying meal can be had in Greece where one goes out and drinks some ouzo, which is accompanied by all sorts of interesting tidbits called “mezedhes”, for example, small triangles of cheese, little fried minced meat balls, fried whitebait, fried baby calamari, saganaki (fried cheese), slices of tomato and cucumber, olives, slices of crusty bread, boiled prawns and sea snails, pastrami slices, and so on and so forth, the variety being almost limitless and dictated by the imagination of the host and the richness (or otherwise) of his larder.

In Spain the same may be experienced with tapas. In fact one may go bar-hopping (“ir de tapas”) and sample various different ones in each location. One may choose from various seafoods (mariscos) like anchovies, mackerel, sardines, squid and prawns or various smallgoods, including sausages (chorizos), ham (jamón), seasoned meat dishes, bread, etc. All of course, being washed down with sherry, wine or beer.

In France, one may be tempted by a range of savouries known collectively as hors d’ oeuvres or canapés salés. Accompanied by champagne! These are favourites of mine and they can be extremely diverse and varied, the idea of the canapé being more important than its actual composition. At home we often have champagne and hors d’ oeuvres as a complete meal – either because we feel like it or alternatively because there is not time nor inclination to cook anything else…

Here are some of the hors d’ oeuvres we have, not French only, but with an international flavour:

HORS D’ OEUVRES

• 1 tub of ready-made taramosalata (Greek red caviar dip)
• 1 tub of ready-made babaganoush or melitzanosalata (Middle-Eastern/Greek
eggplant dip)
• 1 tin of smoked oysters
• 12 tiny continental sausages (fried)
• 100 g of smoked salmon
• Cream cheese
• 1 jar of back caviar
• 1 jar of red caviar
• Sliced stuffed green olives
• Lemon juice
• 100 g of ham
• Some grated Gruyére cheese
• Some blue cheese
• Walnut halves (or pecans)
• 1/2 lemon sliced very thinly
• Dill sprigs
• Fresh basil leaves
• Fresh parsley
• Capers
• Tomato slices
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• Canapé crackers
• Vol-au-vent shells
• Mini toasts (tiny squares of crisp oven-toasted bread)
• Butter (optional)
• Olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Prepare the mini toasts and crackers by buttering them liberally. Brusht he vol-au-vent cases with olive oil (you may also brush the crackers and mini toasts with oil if you prefer it to butter).

Taramosalata canapés:
Place about a dessertspoonful of taramosalata on a cracker and spread it evenly. Top with a smoked oyster and decorate with a sliver of a lemon slice.

Smoked salmon canapés:
Half an hour before preparation, soak the smoked salmon in the lemon juice. Spread some softened cream cheese on a mini toast. Cut a strip of smoked salmon and twirl it on top of the cream cheese in the form of a scroll. Place two capers in the centre and decorate with small sprigs of dill.

Caviar canapés:
Spread a thiCk layer on mayonnaise on the buttered cracker. Place half a teaspoon of black caviar on one half of the cracker and half a teaspoon of red caviar on the other half. Decorate with half a lemon slice across-wise the two caviar halves.

Ham and cheese vol-au-vents:
Place some grated Gruyére in the vol-au-vent case and place some mustard on top of it. Cut strips of ham, wrap it and place turban-like on top of the cheese/mustard. Top with half a teaspoon of mayonnaise. Bake in a hot oven until the mayonnaise develops a gold crust. Decorate with freshly ground pepper.

Cheese and tomato canapés:
Place some grated Gruyére on a buttered mini toast on which you have spread some mustard. Place in the oven until the cheese has just melted. Top with a tomato slice and freshly ground pepper. Decorate with capers and basil leaves.

Blue cheese and walnut canapés:
Place some blue cheese on a buttered cracker or mini toast. Twirl a strip of ham around the edge of the canapé. Top with half a walnut (or pecan).

Eggplant canapés:
Place a dessertspoonful of babaganoush on a buttered cracker. Top with sliced olives and capers. Decorate with sprigs of parsley.
Sausage vol-au-vent:
Dip the sausage in mustard and wrap a strip of ham around it. Place it in vol-au-vent case and sprinkle liberally with grated Gruyére. Place in the oven until the cheese melts. Decorate with tomato wedges and parsley sprigs.