Appetizers

Appetizers

FOIE GRAS-STUFFED DATES You can use bloc de foie gras (imported from France in tins) or a slice of fresh foie gras pâté or mousse, sold at many specialty foods shops and cheese shops. 6 large Medjool dates, halved lengthwise, pitted 2 ounces (about) foie gras (goose or duck liver) Fleur de sel* (A type of French sea salt) Chopped fresh parsley Fill each date half with heaping 1/2 teaspoon foie gras. Arrange filled dates on platter. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover and chill.) Sprinkle each date with salt and parsley. Makes 4 Servings.
MINIATURE CAMEMBERT WALNUT PASTRIES Camembert aux Noix Amuse-Bouches Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 50 min For pastry 1/4 cup walnuts (1 oz), minced 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-oz package), thawed 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water For cheese filling 6 oz Camembert (not runny), rind discarded 1/3 cup walnuts (1 1/4 oz), finely chopped, toasted, and cooled Special equipment: a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter; parchment paper Make pastry: Preheat oven to 400°F. Stir together walnuts, butter, and salt. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14- by 12-inch rectangle. Cut out 40 rounds with lightly floured cookie cutter and discard trimmings. Brush tops of rounds with egg wash, then sprinkle each with about 1/4 teaspoon walnut mixture and transfer to a parchment-lined large baking sheet. Bake rounds in middle of oven until golden and puffed, 10 to 15 minutes, then slide pastries on parchment onto a rack to cool. (Leave oven on.) While pastries are still warm, gently pull each one apart to make a top and a bottom. Lightly press down any puffed inner layers on tops and bottoms if necessary. Make filling while pastry bakes: Mash together cheese and toasted walnuts with a fork. Fill pastries: Sandwich a 1/2-teaspoon mound of cheese filling inside each pastry (between top and bottom), then bake in middle of oven on parchment-lined baking sheet (it's not necessary to use a clean sheet of parchment) until cheese begins to melt, 2 to 3 minutes. Season tops of pastries with pepper and serve immediately. Cooks' notes: • Puff pastry can be baked and rounds separated into tops and bottoms 1 day ahead, then cooled completely and kept at room temperature in an airtight container. • Pastries can be filled (but not baked) 1 hour ahead and kept, loosely covered, at room temperature. Makes 40 hors d'oeuvres or 8 servings.
TARTINES PROVENCALES Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min For tapenade 1 large egg, hard-boiled and finely chopped 1/4 cup each Niçoise, picholine, and Kalamata olives (5 oz total), rinsed, pitted, and coarsely chopped 2 flat anchovy fillets, rinsed and coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons drained bottled capers, rinsed 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil For tartines 6 (1/2-inch-thick) sourdough bread slices (from a 9-inch loaf; preferably whole-wheat) 1 garlic clove, halved 6 tablespoons soft mild goat cheese (3 oz) Garnish: 48 small basil leaves Make tapenade: Blend all tapenade ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped but not puréed, 2 to 3 seconds. Make tartines: Lightly toast bread and rub 1 side of each slice with garlic. Spread each with 1 tablespoon cheese and about 2 1/2 tablespoons tapenade. Cut each tartine into 8 wedges. Cooks' note: • Tapenade can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Makes 8 servings or 48 hors d'oeuvres.
CLASSIC ESCARGOTS A LA BOURGUIGNONNE 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon minced shallot 1 7-oz can snails, rinsed Preheat oven to 400°F. Purée butter, garlic, parsley, and shallot in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Divide half the garlic butter among sterilized snail shells. Stuff with snails (1 per shell) and remaining garlic butter. Bake 10 minutes.
SEARED FOIE GRAS AND LINGONBERRY JAM ON BRIOCHE TOAST 3 large brioche or challah loaves, crusts removed 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or to taste 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 cups lingonberry jam or spread 1 lb fresh foie gras or cleaned chicken livers (see Cooks' notes, below) Cut brioche into 3/4-inch-thick slices, then into 60 (1 1/2-inch) cubes. Heat 1 tablespoon butter with 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Cook brioche cubes, 12 at a time, until golden brown on top and bottom, about 3 minutes total. Transfer brioche as cooked to a rack to cool and sprinkle with salt to taste. Between batches, carefully wipe skillet clean with paper towels and add more butter and oil. Stir pepper and juice into jam. Chill jam, covered, until ready to use. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut foie gras into 1- by 1/2-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Reduce heat to moderate and cook foie gras, about 20 pieces at a time, until golden brown on both sides, about 1, minutes total. Transfer foie gras as cooked to a shallow baking pan with a spatula and arrange in 1 layer. Between batches, carefully wipe skillet clean. Reheat foie gras as needed in middle of oven 2 minutes, or until just hot, before assembling hors d'oeuvres. Just before serving, top toasts with lingonberry jam, then foie gras. Cooks' notes: • Lingonberry jam topping may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. • Toasts may be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely before being stored in an airtight container at room temperature. If toasts get soft, recrisp them on a baking sheet in middle of a 400°F oven. • If using chicken livers, separate lobes and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the livers, whole, until cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Cut the livers into pieces after they are cooked. Makes 60 hors d'oeuvres.
CROUTONS WITH TAPENADE (CROUTONS A LA TAPENADE) 3 large garlic cloves 1 3/4 cups pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives 4 anchovy fillets 1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 6 tablespoons olive oil 1 French-bread baguette, sliced into rounds Finely chop 1 garlic clove in processor. Add olives, anchovies, capers, thyme and rosemary. Process until almost smooth. Add lemon juice. With machine running, gradually add 4 tablespoons olive oil. Blend mixture until smooth. Season tapenade to taste with pepper. Transfer to small bowl. Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange bread slices on 2 baking sheets. Bake bread until crisp and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Rub remaining 2 garlic cloves over 1 side of each crouton. Lightly brush croutons with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Serve croutons warm or at room temperature with tapenade. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover tapenade and refrigerate. Cool croutons completely; store in airtight container at room temperature.) Serves 6.