Before Viking Sunday Dinner, we serve hors d'œuvres, which in our house does not mean mini quiches or bacon wrapped scallops, unfortunately; though those are both good, they tend to be better when you have a wedding caterer making them for you. It means, almost always, some kind of starchy thing with some kind of savory thing on top of it. Doesn’t sound very glamorous when phrased like that- but they serve a critical purpose! The starches get the metabolism revved up so folks are prepped to eat more! The savory wets the thirst for a cold beverage – critical to a lively dinner.
We usually serve these with a cocktail or glass of crisp white wine; living in a Portuguese neighborhood as we do this is often a Vinho Verde.
Let’s start with the starchy things. These should be crisp, lightly salted and enriched with olive or vegetable oil.
- Water crackers. So simple and basic, they make a great foil for almost anything without competing – or you can punch them up a bit by getting the kind with cracked pepper.
- Crostini. These are the little tab-shaped olive oil crackers that come in clear plastic bags at the grocery store, sometimes with bits of rosemary baked in. Amazing accompanying all kinds of Mediterranean flavors. Without question, these are my number one food addiction.
- Melba rounds. The cracker of my childhood. Probably my mother’s number one food addiction. I’ve come to like the whole wheat versions best.
- Swedish crisp-bread. I know, I know. It looks like cardboard; it has terrible associations with dieting and usually is pictured on the packaging topped with something horrifying like cottage cheese and strawberries. That said, I like them, particularly the thicker kind – and particularly when I break them up into smaller pieces. A big three-by-six-inch slab of crisp-bread is a little intimidating; broken into six or so rough squares, it can be a nice hearty foil for lots of things, particularly fish.
- Bagel chips. It’s not unusual to find yourself with a few stale bagels on your hands (especially if you work in an office; how many times does that bloody tray of abandoned-looking bagels end up in the kitchenette?). Don’t toss them; slice them vertically into thin bits (maybe 2-3mm thick) and stash them in sealed bags in the freezer. When you need some kind of cracker-thingie, arrange the frozen bagel bits on an oiled baking sheet (or oiled sheet of foil on top of a baking sheet) and brush or spray with oil. Bake at around 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until they are golden. Toss with some salt and you have bagel chips.
- Toasts. Have a stale baguette or rye loaf floating around? Same principle applies as with the bagels.
So, then, what’s on top of these?
- A smear of goat cheese and a dollop of fig jam. Best with the water crackers.
- Cream cheese and mango chutney. This is my family’s traditional Christmas dinner hors d'œuvres, always served on melba rounds.
- Homemade salmon pate. Canned salmon mashed into cream cheese with a finely minced shallot and a few flakes of crushed red pepper. You can also make this with smoked salmon, though I would not recommend using the lovely sheets of translucent Nova Scotia for this less-elegant purpose. Trader Joes sells extremely tasty (and reasonably priced) smoked salmon tails in cans. Good on any of the above, with the possible exception of the crostini.
- White bean paste. Dump a can of cannelloni beans into the blender with the juice and zest of one lemon, a couple of cloves of garlic, and a few good glugs of olive oil. Blitz into a smooth puree and salt (probably not necessary) and pepper (essential) to taste. Best with crostini, bagel chips or toast.
- Olive tapenade. Either in the blender, food processor, or (if you’re really ambitious) by hand, chop good quality olives down to a rough paste. Amazing with crostini or toasts.
- Anchovy mayonnaise. Empty one of those little tins of anchovies into a bowl and mash them into a paste with a couple of forks. Mix in a finely chopped shallot (or small onion) and a few plops of mayonnaise. Particularly good in months when you can find a nice handful of basil leaves to chop and toss in as well. Best with the crostini – you’re almost dipping here, rather than spreading. This is also great as a dip for some blanched vegetables.
- Anchovy-parmesan toasts. Rather than baking your toasts or bagel chips in the nude, you’re going to put them onto the baking sheet topped with a sliver of roasted red pepper (from a jar is easiest, but if you’ve been a good doobie and made your own, this is a great place for it), one whole anchovy, and a sprinkling of grated parmesan. Bake until crisp and brown and serve hot.
Am I obsessed with anchovies? Yes. Sorry. You might as well know that now.
