Party Season is Here

Appetizers at Friday Party

Most people attend at least one party get-together over the end of year holidays, if not many of them. I made appetizers for a wine tasting last Friday evening, some of which were new and some of which were old standbys and some of which were sort of re-created.

This party was a wine tasting and pairing that was won at auction in April at the Winefest Renaissance, benefiting the Boys and Girls Club.

One of the appetizers, one that always is well received, is something I created quite a few years ago. It is quick and easy and delicious. I call them Andouille Coins.

Andouille is a spicy sausage known well in Louisiana. It is used in things like Gumbo, Jambalaya and Etoufee. Since I now live way up north in South Dakota, true Andouille is not available here, though a South Dakota company called Frohling's makes their own version of it. While it has no spicy heat, it does have a lovely spice mixture to it. I use these to accomplish the Andouille Coins, and have had rave reviews, so heartening, for such an easy appetizer. 

Andouille Coins

Andouille Coins

Makes 55 to 60

4 Andouille sausages
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 jar mango chutney, for serving

On a floured surface, roll out the thawed puff pastry sheet to the width that will accommodate two of the sausages lengthwise, and deep enough to be able to roll up two sausages with enough overlap to seal the roll shut, using a little water at the edge. Usually the depth will be nearly perfect as is.

Once the rolls are created, they can be wrapped in waxed paper and kept in a zip-top baggie for a couple of days, or they can be sliced and baked immediately.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Slice the rolls across, about ¼-inch thick, into "coin" shapes. Set the coins about an inch apart on the parchment lined sheets and bake them for about 20 minutes, or until the puff pastry has puffed significantly and turned golden. 

Making Andouille Coins

Serve these at room temperature with a small dollop of mango chutney (I use store bought "Major Grey's Mango Chutney").

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One of the appetizers I served was something I called Chicken and Mushroom Pâté. Maybe I should change the name? No one wanted to eat it. I grant you, it doesn't have the eye-appeal the other appetizers had, but the flavors were just tremendous. I used a recipe I had created some years ago, to pair with a Pinot Noir wine at the Winefest Renaissance. While the pairing was perfect, again, it wasn't all that well received. I did find out that the Malbec that was served that evening was a match made in heaven. The Pinot was perfect, but the Malbec really shone, alongside this Chicken & Mushroom "Spread."

Chicken & Mushroom Spread

My recipe contains no chicken liver, or any kind of liver. I went for chicken thigh meat and sauteed mushrooms as the base mixture, to create a nicely earthy pairing for the earthy Pinot Noir. This time, I used the base recipe, but ground the mixture more finely, and added in some extra things to jazz up the flavors. And the flavors are amazing. I've been eating the leftovers every day since!

I skipped the "Pepperless Piquancy" mixture and used black pepper. I fried 6 slices of bacon and then ground those fine, along with the cooked chicken thighs and well-sauteed mushrooms. I added all the bacon fat in the pan, also, as I wanted the nicest "mouthfeel" possible. I substituted a couple of large shallots for the onion. I substituted dry Vermouth for the dry white wine. I folded in at the end about three teaspoons of nonpareil capers and a half cup of sliced scallions. Nothing too huge for changes, but just enough. It was delicious. I served the spread with mixed olives and large caper berries, with an array of crackers, pita chips and bruschetta breads.

Chicken Mushroom Spread

Makes about 3 cups

CHICKEN PREP:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, well trimmed
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

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MUSHROOM MIXTURE:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large shallots (about 6 - 6 1/2 ounces, total), finely chopped
1 pound mushrooms (I used Baby Bellas), sliced
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black cardamom seeds, ground, optional
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
⅔ cup dry Vermouth or dry white wine

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6 slices bacon, cut in ¼-inch pieces

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more olive oil, for frying the chicken
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon nonpareil capers, drained

½ cup sliced scallions

3 ounces (1 cup grated) Pecorino Romano cheese

½ cup heavy cream, divided

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parsley leaves, for garnish

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Serve with: olives, large caper berries, crackers, bruschetta slices, pita chips

First, make sure the chicken is well trimmed of fat and cut into small pieces, none larger than 1-inch. Sprinkle on the pepper, salt and the minced garlic and mix together well. Set this aside while preparing the mushroom mixture.

Heat a large skillet, preferably nonstick, and add in the butter and tablespoon of olive oil. Once melted, add the minced onion and lower heat to medium low, cooking the onion very slowly, about 8 minutes, until softened and golden. Add the mushrooms to the onions in the pan and raise the heat to medium high. It will seem a lot at first, but they will cook down quickly. Add in the ½-teaspoon salt & black cardamom, if using. Cook, stirring for 15 to 18 minutes, until all the liquid that releases from the mushrooms is cooked out, and the mushrooms are golden brown. Add in the rosemary and the dry Vermouth and cook quickly, stirring, until all the wine has evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour this mixture into a large bowl to cool. 

Return the skillet to the heat and fry the bacon pieces until crisp. Pour the crisp bacon and all the fat left in the pan into the bowl with the mushrooms.

Return the skillet to the heat and add in a little more olive oil. Pour in the chicken mixture and cook on medium high, tossing continually to brown evenly and cook the meat through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Once meat is cooked through, add to the bowl with the mushrooms. Add in the 3 tablespoons of parsley, the capers and scallions. Stir well. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, add the Pecorino and mix. Using a food processor, process the mixture very finely in two or three batches. During this process, add in half the heavy cream to each batch being processed. Remove to a bowl and mix well. This can be made 1 or 2 days in advance. The mixture can also be frozen until needed. Thaw completely before using.

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Flank Steak Rolls with
Gorgonzola Walnut Filling

Some of the appetizers I did not change at all were the Flank Steak Rolls with Gorgonzola Walnut Spread (great with Malbec or with Cabernet Sauvignon), Rosemary Parmesan Wafers (great with either a Chardonnay or a Cabernet Sauvignon), and the Pepper Crusted Maple Salmon (the pepper crusting allowed these to pair well with Shiraz, Pinot Noir or Chardonnay). 

Rosemary Parmesan Wafers

Having served the Flank Steak Rolls on many occasions, with people clamoring for more, they are always a great party appetizer. If time is crazy short before your party, make the Gorgonzola Walnut Filling up to a week ahead, then use a little kitchen scale to weigh out 5 to 6 gram bits of the spread and roll into thin logs and stack in a container with lid, using waxed paper between layers of the cheese logs. Keep these refrigerated until the day before the party. Set the flank steak to marinate 3 days ahead, then broil the meat and slice it two days ahead, then keep it tightly sealed in the fridge. One day ahead, roll the slices of meat around the filling and skewer with toothpicks. Do not use toothpicks with the little cellophane bits on the ends (the cellophane unravels in the humidity inside of the storage container, then leaves little multi colored spots on the meat!), nor multi-colored toothpicks (these leave the meat and filling multi-colored - probably not the best).

Pepper Crusted Maple Salmon

The Rosemary Parmesan Wafers, not a sweet cookie, and definitely meant to serve with wine, can be mixed up, then wrapped in plastic film and refrigerated until the day before the party. Simply slice and bake. Store them in a well-sealed container.

The Pepper Crusted Maple Salmon must be marinated a day ahead and for best freshness, baked the day of the party, but they can be chilled before setting out, so they can be made ahead early in the day. It takes only about 3 minutes to bake them. It takes longer than that to heat the oven!

The last appetizer I served was a completely reworked, recreated recipe called Goat Cheese & Prosciutto Tarts with Fig & Preserved Lemon Jam. If you have the time to get the tarts made and frozen, they need only be reheated for 12 minutes, and the Fig and Preserved Lemon Jam can be made at any point p to weeks ahead and kept tightly sealed in the fridge.  

I hope some of these ideas will help you plan one of your holiday parties, and make life easier for you.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.