Episode 146: Appetizers

Mini Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Endive with Curried Pumpkin Mousse
Fried Stuffed Olives
Capicolla and Asiago Pinwheels
Mango Shrimp Salad in a Springroll Cup
Proscuitto Wrapped Breadsticks with Fig Dip

MINI CRAB CAKES WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

1 large egg
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise - (60ml)
4 teaspoons of Dijon mustard - (20ml)
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice (15ml)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (5ml)
1 pound of crab meat - (500grams) - clean and patted dry
1 cup of fresh white breadcrumbs - (250ml)
¼ cup of finely chopped green onions- (60ml)
1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel- (5ml)
½ teaspoon of salt - (2.5ml)
¼ teaspoon of white pepper - (1.25ml)
1½ tablespoons of butter - (22.5ml)
1 ½ tablespoons of vegetable oil - (22.5ml)
15 pumpernickel bread slices, toasted

Red Pepper Sauce
4 roasted red bell peppers, chopped
1 cup of mayonnaise - (250ml)
2 tablespoons of fresh tarragon, chopped - (30ml)
2 large cloves of chopped garlic
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard - (5ml)
½ teaspoon of fresh lemon juice - (2.5ml)
½ teaspoon of tobacco sauce - (2.5ml)

Slice pumpernickel bread into small squares of rounds and toast.

Combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and egg in a bowl. Grate in lemon rind and squeeze in lemon juice. Add crab, breadcrumbs, green onion, salt and white pepper, mix ingredients well.

Form the mixture into little crab cakes approximately 2 inches in diameter and place them on a wax paper lined baking sheet. When you have used up all of your crab cake mixture, place your cakes in the fridge to set for 1 hour.

Add both butter and oil to a large non-stick skillet. Gently slide a few of the cakes from the baking sheet into the oil. Pan has to be very hot to get the crispy exterior on the cakes and you do not want to overcrowd the skillet; it will cause the cakes to steam more than fry.

For the sauce, add roasted peppers, mayonnaise, fresh tarragon, garlic, Dijon, Lemon juice and Tabasco, to a blender. Mix until smooth.

Place one crab cake on top of each toasted pumpernickel slice and top with a small dollop of the sauce. Top with another crab cake and more sauce.

Yields: 15 appetizers
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ENDIVE WITH CURRIED PUMPKIN MOUSSE

¼ cup of minced shallot- (60ml)
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter - (30ml)
2 ½ teaspoons of curry powder - (12.5ml)
2 cups of canned pumpkin - (500ml)
8 ounces (1 cup) of soften cream cheese - (250ml)
3 heads of endive
½ teaspoon pepper - (2.5ml)
½ cup of toasted pumpkin seeds - (250ml)

Toast your pumpkin seeds until they are golden brown.

Sauté the shallots in butter until they are soft, then add curry powder and stir in pepper.

Place your pumpkin and cream cheese to a blender and blend until smooth. Stop and add curry mix. Blend again.

Pour mousse into a bowl, cover and let stand in fridge for 1 hour or overnight.

Separate the endive leaves and spoon in pumpkin mousse into each leaf.

Serve and enjoy!

Yields: 48 Appetizers
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FRIED STUFFED OLIVES

2 cups of drained pimiento-stuffed super colossal green olives- (500ml)
½ pound sweet Italian sausage, casing discarded - (250grams)
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter - (15ml)
½ cup of dry white wine - (125ml)
½ cup of chicken broth - (125ml)
2 cups of bread crumbs - (500ml)
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley leaves - (15ml)
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped oregano - (15ml)
Pinch of fresh nutmeg - or to taste
All-purpose flour for dredging
Vegetable oil for frying

Remove and discard the pimiento from the middle of the olives. Soak olives in water for 2 to 3 hours, drain, and pat dry and set aside.

In a large skillet add sweet Italian sausage and fry until brown. Add white wine and deglaze and reduce the liquid by half. Add broth and reduce it again until all the liquid is completely evaporated.

Add the sausage to a blender and mix until fine. Place the sausage in a bowl. Add bread crumbs, egg, parsley, & nutmeg. Combine thoroughly.

Place your stuffing mixture in a pastry bag with a 1/3 inch plain tip. Pipe the stuffing into the olives. Dust the olives in flour, then egg, and then bread crumbs, coating well.

Heat oil to 280 F - (140 C) and deep fry stuffed olives in batches for 4 to 6 minutes or until brown. Transfer olives with a slotted spoon to paper towel, let drain. Sprinkle with salt while they are still hot.

Serve and enjoy!

Yields: 60 Appetizers
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CAPICOLLA AND ASIAGO PINWHEELS

½ cup of grated Asiago cheese- (125ml)
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme - (10ml)
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh oregano - (10ml)
1 sheet frozen puff pastry package, thawed (1/2 a package)
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard - (30ml)
2 ounces of sliced Capicolla Ham, 1 ½ inch diameter - (60ml) - approximately 24 slices
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Non-stick vegetable oil cooking spay


Preheat oven to 400 F - (200 C)

Mix the cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

Lay out the puff pastry sheet and cut into 2 rectangles. Spread Dijon mustard on one rectangle being sure to leave a 1 inch border on one long edge.

Use half of the Capicolla ham and form a layer of ham over the mustard. Spread half of the cheese mixture on top of the ham.

Brush the border with egg wash then roll the pastry up starting at the side opposite the egg-washed border. Repeat the process with the other rectangle.

Wrap your rolls in plastic and chill seam side down for at least 30 minutes to 24 hours.

When ready to bake - line two baking sheets with foil and spray them with non-stick cooking spay.

Place the roll on a cutting board seam side down. Slice into ¼ inch thick rounds. Brush the pinwheels with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Yields: 60 Appetizers
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MANGO SHRIMP SALAD IN A SPRINGROLL CUP

12 Spring roll wrappers, cut each into 4 squares
Vegetable oil
½ cup of mayonnaise - (125ml)
2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, chopped - (30ml)
5 teaspoons of fresh lime juice - (75ml)
2 teaspoons of mango chutney - (10ml)
1 ½ cups of cooked, peeled, medium size shrimp, chopped coarsely - (375ml)
¾ teaspoon Sambal olek (1.25ml)
Fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 325 F - (160 C)

Brush wrappers with vegetable oil and place them oiled side down into mini muffin tin. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool completely while still in the baking tin.

Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice, chutney, and Sambal elek in a bowl. Add your chopped shrimp.

Place baked wonton wrappers on serving platter and spoon in a 1 teaspoon of shrimp salad mixture into each cup. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Yields: 48 appetizers
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PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED BREADSTICKS WITH FIG DIP

¼ cups of finely chopped stemmed dried black figs - (60ml)
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar - (30ml)
¼ cup of water - (60ml)
1 teaspoon of sugar - (5ml)
½ teaspoon of Dijon Mustard (2.5ml)
½ teaspoon of fresh lemon juice - (2.5ml)
2 tablespoons of fresh chives, chopped - (30ml)
18 thin slices of Prosciutto
18 breadsticks

Add dried black figs to a sauce pan and add in the balsamic vinegar, water and sugar and bring to a boil. Once it has boiled reduce heat and simmer till thick.

Pour the fig mix into a blender and add the Dijon, lemon juice and chives and pulse until coarsely mixed together.

Spread one side of Prosciutto ham slice with fig spread, fold lengthwise and wrap around breadstick. Repeat until all breadsticks have been rapped.

Serve and enjoy!

Yields: 18 appetizers
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Recipes courtesy of Chef Michael Bonacini of Toronto’s Oliver Bonacini Restaurants, including ‘Canoe’; ‘Auberge du Pommier’; ‘Biff’s’; ‘Jump Café’; & ‘Steakfrites’