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This module deals with the skills and knowledge required in preparing and presenting appetizers. Upon completion of this module you should be able to:
1. identify the origin of appetizer;
2. perform Mise en place;
3. prepare a range of appetizers;
4. present a range of appetizers; and
5. store appetizers.
History of Appetizers
Appetizers were originally introduced by the Athenians as a buffet in the early third century B.C. They would serve sea urchins, cockles, sturgeon, and garlic. However, they were unpopular to start, as these tiny meals weren't followed up with a main course, leaving everyone hungry and wanting more. It wasn't until the nineteenth century that appetizers truly caught on, as meals evolved into more of a structured ordeal.
Aperitifs came about through the Romans and were classified as liquid appetizers that typically contained alcohol. In addition to inciting hunger like food appetizers, the purpose of aperitifs was also to aid in the imminent digestion process. These drinks would be shared from a single glass and passed around the table to all members of the eating party. Aperitifs are still utilized today, typically in the company of food appetizers.
The word itself, "appetizer," started being used in the Americas and England in the 1860s, though its only reason for existence was to have a word with more of a local flavor than "hors d'oeuvres." For a time, appetizers would be served between the main course and dessert as a refresher, but by the twentieth century, they had taken their place as a precursor to the main course.
On the other hand, it is said that appetizers are the dishes that can truly be considered Filipino, as we are best known for using our hands to eat the small finger foods that come with the first course. Appetizers can include anything from fish to meat, nuts, and chips. They are often served before dinner or at large family lunches.
This lesson deals with the equipment used in the production of appetizers, classifications of appetizers, identification of ingredients used for appetizers, preparation, and presentation of attractive appetizers according to enterprise standards.
Learning Outcome 1: Performing Mise en Place
Objectives:
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Identify the tools and equipment needed in the preparation of appetizers.
- Clean, sanitize, and prepare tools and equipment based on the required tasks.
- Classify appetizers according to their ingredients.
- Identify ingredients according to the given recipe.
"Mise en Place" is a French term that means "everything in its place." This implies having everything ready to cook and in the correct place. You should be capable of identifying and preparing all the necessary tools, equipment, and ingredients to facilitate the preparation and cooking process.
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Other Tools and Equipment Used in Preparing Appetizers
Measuring spoons: These are used for measuring dry and liquid ingredients in small quantities.Measuring cups: Measuring cups are used to measure dry ingredients. They come in various sizes and volumes.
Glass measuring cup: This container is usually transparent, with a smooth interior. It has graduation marks on the outside for easy reading. Glass measuring cups are used for measuring liquid ingredients like water and oil.
Mixing bowls: These containers have smooth, rounded interior surfaces with no creases to retain mixture.
Mixing spoon: Used for mixing ingredients, this spoon is often made of wood and comes in different sizes with varying handle lengths.
Paring knife: This knife is used to remove the skin covering from fruits and vegetables.
Fork: Forks are used to combine ingredients.
Containers of different sizes and shapes: Various containers are used for holding ingredients at different stages of preparation.
Cooking range/stove: Essential for cooking or heating food.
Refrigerator: Used for storing ingredients that require cooling.
Strainer/colander: These are used to separate solids from liquids or to drain excess liquids from foods.
Appetizers are foods that stimulate the appetite through their attractive appearance, fragrance, or appealing flavor. They consist of small pieces or portions of highly seasoned food, usually served before a meal to induce and stimulate one’s appetite.
They contribute to our overall appreciation of the food we eat. A good appetizer, whether hot or cold, should be light and served in small quantities. Fresh vegetables, salads, fruits, meat, or even fish can be transformed into appetizers.
Cocktails: These are usually juices made from orange, pineapple, grapefruit, or tomatoes, served with cold salad dressings. They might be fruit or vegetable juices mixed with a small amount of alcoholic beverage or seafood such as shrimp, crabs, or lobsters, served with lightly seasoned sauce.
Hors d’Oeuvres: These are small portions of highly seasoned foods, often a combination of canapés, olives, stuffed celery, pickled radishes, and fish. They can be served on individual plates when guests are seated, or sometimes placed on a platter and passed around. Hors d’oeuvres can be served either cold or hot.
Canapé: These are made from thin slices of bread in various shapes. The bread can be toasted, sautéed in butter, or dipped in a well-seasoned mixture of egg, cheese, fish, or meat, and then deep-fried.
Classification of Appetizers:
Cocktails: These are usually juices made from orange, pineapple, grapefruit, or tomatoes, served with cold salad dressings. They might be fruit or vegetable juices mixed with a small amount of alcoholic beverage or seafood such as shrimp, crabs, or lobsters, served with lightly seasoned sauce.
Hors d’Oeuvres: These are small portions of highly seasoned foods, often a combination of canapés, olives, stuffed celery, pickled radishes, and fish. They can be served on individual plates when guests are seated, or sometimes placed on a platter and passed around. Hors d’oeuvres can be served either cold or hot.
Canapé: These are made from thin slices of bread in various shapes. The bread can be toasted, sautéed in butter, or dipped in a well-seasoned mixture of egg, cheese, fish, or meat, and then deep-fried.
Canapés are finger foods with three parts: a base, a spread or topping, and garnish. They can be served either hot or cold. There are no fixed recipes for making canapés; you can create your own combinations of various colored items on the cut pieces of bread, whether toasted, fried, or in the form of biscuits. Larger canapés are sometimes referred to as "ZAKUSKIS" after Chef Zakuski.
Relishes/Crudités: These are pickled items that consist of raw, crisp vegetables such as julienned carrots or celery sticks. Relishes are generally presented to the guests in a slightly deep, boat-shaped dish.
Petite Salad: These are small portions of salads that typically display the characteristics found in most salads.
Chips and Dips: These are popular accompaniments to potato chips, crackers, and raw vegetables. Proper consistency in the preparation of many dips is essential. The dip must not be so thick that it breaks the chip or cracker when scooped, but it must be thick enough to adhere to the items used as dippers.
7. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Fresh fruits and vegetables are the simplest appetizers. Fruits make excellent appetizers due to their attractive appearance, fragrance, appealing taste, and delicious flavor. For instance, you can create a platter featuring thinly sliced cucumbers, chunks of red bell pepper, and baby carrots. For a fruit tray, consider serving red and green grapes, along with mango chunks that have toothpicks inserted in them. Since appetizers should be easy to pick up with fingers and should not be messy, it's best to avoid certain fruits or veggies (for example, chunks of avocado or watermelon might not be the most suitable appetizer choices).
8. Miniature Varieties: This category includes appetizers where the sole requirement is to keep everything small enough to be easily picked up with fingers and eaten with minimal mess. If you're interested in serving your favorite homemade sausages, you can cut them into small pieces, wrap each piece in a small pastry shell, and bake them.
Relishes/Crudités: These are pickled items that consist of raw, crisp vegetables such as julienned carrots or celery sticks. Relishes are generally presented to the guests in a slightly deep, boat-shaped dish.
Petite Salad: These are small portions of salads that typically display the characteristics found in most salads.
Chips and Dips: These are popular accompaniments to potato chips, crackers, and raw vegetables. Proper consistency in the preparation of many dips is essential. The dip must not be so thick that it breaks the chip or cracker when scooped, but it must be thick enough to adhere to the items used as dippers.
7. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Fresh fruits and vegetables are the simplest appetizers. Fruits make excellent appetizers due to their attractive appearance, fragrance, appealing taste, and delicious flavor. For instance, you can create a platter featuring thinly sliced cucumbers, chunks of red bell pepper, and baby carrots. For a fruit tray, consider serving red and green grapes, along with mango chunks that have toothpicks inserted in them. Since appetizers should be easy to pick up with fingers and should not be messy, it's best to avoid certain fruits or veggies (for example, chunks of avocado or watermelon might not be the most suitable appetizer choices).
8. Miniature Varieties: This category includes appetizers where the sole requirement is to keep everything small enough to be easily picked up with fingers and eaten with minimal mess. If you're interested in serving your favorite homemade sausages, you can cut them into small pieces, wrap each piece in a small pastry shell, and bake them.
Another option is to serve baked sweet potato fries with a mayonnaise-based dipping sauce. Individual quiches filled with ham and cheese also make for a good choice.
1. Canapés
Canapés are bite-size open-faced sandwiches that consist of tiny portions of food presented on bases of bread, toast, or pastry that are easily handled and eaten.
Canapés Consist of Three Parts:Base: The base holds the spread and garnish. Crackers and toasts provide firmness and a pleasing texture, adding crispness to the canapé.
2. Spread - placed on top of the base so the garnish sticks to it without falling off.
a) Flavored Butter: Made from softened butter with added flavorings.
b) Flavored Cream Cheese: Made similarly to flavored butters, but cream cheese is used instead of butter. A mixture of cream and butter can also be used.
c) Meat or Fish Salad Spreads: These spreads are made from finely chopped meat or fish that can be easily spread. The seasoning should be carefully adjusted to enhance the appetizing quality of the spread.
3. Garnish: A garnish is any food item or combination of items placed on top of the spread. It typically adds color, design, texture, or flavor accents to the canapé.
Good Mise en Place is Essential: When creating canapés, particularly for large functions, it's crucial to have proper mise en place. Prepare all bases, spreads, and garnishes in advance to ensure a smooth and efficient final assembly process.
Assemble as Close as Possible to Serving Time: Bases can quickly become soggy, and spreads and garnishes can easily dry out. After arranging them on a tray, cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate briefly. Adhering to safe food handling and storage practices is a must.
Select Harmonious Flavor Combinations in Spreads and Garnishes, Such As:
The following are examples of appetizers, including the materials/ingredients required to prepare them.
1. Canapés
Canapés are bite-size open-faced sandwiches that consist of tiny portions of food presented on bases of bread, toast, or pastry that are easily handled and eaten.
Canapés Consist of Three Parts:Base: The base holds the spread and garnish. Crackers and toasts provide firmness and a pleasing texture, adding crispness to the canapé.
2. Spread - placed on top of the base so the garnish sticks to it without falling off.
Three Types of Spreads:
a) Flavored Butter: Made from softened butter with added flavorings.
b) Flavored Cream Cheese: Made similarly to flavored butters, but cream cheese is used instead of butter. A mixture of cream and butter can also be used.
c) Meat or Fish Salad Spreads: These spreads are made from finely chopped meat or fish that can be easily spread. The seasoning should be carefully adjusted to enhance the appetizing quality of the spread.
3. Garnish: A garnish is any food item or combination of items placed on top of the spread. It typically adds color, design, texture, or flavor accents to the canapé.
Guidelines for Assembling Canapés
Good Mise en Place is Essential: When creating canapés, particularly for large functions, it's crucial to have proper mise en place. Prepare all bases, spreads, and garnishes in advance to ensure a smooth and efficient final assembly process.
Assemble as Close as Possible to Serving Time: Bases can quickly become soggy, and spreads and garnishes can easily dry out. After arranging them on a tray, cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate briefly. Adhering to safe food handling and storage practices is a must.
Select Harmonious Flavor Combinations in Spreads and Garnishes, Such As:
Mustard and ham
Lemon butter and caviar
Pimiento cream cheese and sardines
Tuna salad and capers
Anchovy butter, hard-cooked egg slice, and olive.
Ensure at Least One Ingredient Is Spicy in Flavor: A bland canapé holds little appeal as an appetizer.
Use High-Quality Ingredients: Leftovers can be repurposed for canapés, but careful handling and storage are necessary to maintain freshness.
Keep It Simple: Simple meat arrangements are often more appealing than extravagant ones. Ensure that canapés hold together and do not fall apart when handled.
Arrange Canapés Carefully and Attractively on Trays: Each tray should offer an assortment of flavors and textures, catering to a variety of tastes.
Lemon butter and caviar
Pimiento cream cheese and sardines
Tuna salad and capers
Anchovy butter, hard-cooked egg slice, and olive.
Ensure at Least One Ingredient Is Spicy in Flavor: A bland canapé holds little appeal as an appetizer.
Use High-Quality Ingredients: Leftovers can be repurposed for canapés, but careful handling and storage are necessary to maintain freshness.
Keep It Simple: Simple meat arrangements are often more appealing than extravagant ones. Ensure that canapés hold together and do not fall apart when handled.
Arrange Canapés Carefully and Attractively on Trays: Each tray should offer an assortment of flavors and textures, catering to a variety of tastes.
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