Chapter 9

Appetizers and Hors d’Oeuvre

Chapter Overview

The distinctions between appetizers and hors d’oeuvre have more to do with how and when they are served than the actual foods being served. The term hors d’oeuvre—which translates from French as “outside the work”—is universally recognized; we have not developed an exact equivalent in English capable of conveying as much information as this short French phrase.Typically served as a prelude to a meal, hors d’oeuvre is some of the most intriguing and demanding items produced by the garde manger.Appetizers, on the other hand, are served as the first course of a meal and are typically small portions of very flavorful items, meant just to take enough edge off the appetite to permit thorough enjoyment of an entrée.

Chapter Objectives

After reading and studying this chapter, you should be able to:

Compare and contrast appetizers and hors d’oeuvre

Identify composed hors d’oeuvre including canapés, profiteroles, tartlets, and barquettes

Discuss the role of appetizers in à la carte, buffet, and tasting menu situations

Explain how to select and prepare appetizers

Recognize the principles of presenting appetizers

Understand the preparation of cold savory mousses, sorbets, and espumas

Classify types of caviar and its role in garde manger

Study Outline

Key Terms and Concepts

Appetizers and Hors d’Oeuvre

AppetizerHors d’oeuvreMezze

Smorgasbord“Standing meal”Tapa

Zakuski

Composed Hors d’Oeuvre

BarquetteBread caseCanapés

Composed hors d’oeuvreGarnishMousse

Pastry wrappersProfiterolesTartlets

Appetizers on the à la Carte Menu

Degustation menusGrazingmenus

Appetizers for a Banquet

Assertive flavors“Building” a menuSubtle flavors

Principles for Presenting Appetizers

AeratorBaseBinder

Cold savory mousseCompositionNeatness

PortioningProper temperatureSeasoning

Shared appetizers

Caviar

BelugaBerriesCaviar

EggsGolden caviarMalossol

Non-sturgeon caviarsOsetraPajusnay

Pressed caviarRoe sacSevruga

SterletSturgeonTarama

Chapter Exercises

True/False

____ 1.A hors d’ oeuvre is typically the first course of a meal.

____ 2.Hors d’oeuvre is French for “outside the work.”

____ 3.Traditionally hors d’oeuvre should be able to be eaten in one bite and should never require a knife and fork.

____ 4.Degustation or grazing menus are produced by suggesting an appetizer for the table to share and enjoy while their meals are being prepared.

____ 5.Banquet appetizers are typically smaller than a la carte appetizers.

____ 6.Classis hors d’oeuvre can be used as appetizers if you increase the portion size slightly.

____ 7.The base of a mousse is meant to be of a similar consistency to pastry cream before the binder or aerator is added.

____ 8.Savory foams or encapsulations used in the kitchen are always served cold.

____ 9.Caviar appeared in the writings of Aristotle in the fourth century B.C.E.

____ 10.Tomato water makes an excellent sorbet because its high amount of natural sugar helps develop a smooth texture.

Multiple Choice

  1. Pâté dough can be used to create small, edible containers with a savory filling known as:
  2. Canapés.
  3. Profiteroles.
  4. Barquettes.
  5. None of these.
  1. Profiteroles are small, round, hollow puffs made from:
  2. Pâtéà choux.
  3. Corn meal.
  4. Pâté dough.
  5. All of these.
  1. Classically, tapas were:
  2. Small meals where each plate consisted of a few bites of food.
  3. Regional products bar owners in Spain featured with their Sherries and wines.
  4. Small pieces of bread that were used to cover glasses of sherry.
  5. Little dishes where the patron had limited choices.
  1. In a banquet setting, progressing from one flavor and texture experience to the next in a menu describes what action?
  2. Designing.
  3. Constructing.
  4. Elaborating.
  5. Building.
  1. An example of an aerator for mousse is:
  2. Beaten egg whites.
  3. Whipped cream.
  4. Beaten egg yolks.
  5. Both a and b.
  1. An example of a thickener other than gelatin is:
  2. Agar agar.
  3. Carageenan.
  4. Alginate.
  5. All of these.

7. Caviar should always be stored at what temperature?

  1. 28 degrees.
  2. 32 degrees.
  3. 40 degrees.
  4. 45 degrees.

8.Carageenan is a thickener made from:

  1. Red algae.
  2. Red seaweed.
  3. Brown seaweed.
  1. Purple potatoes.

Fill in the Blank

  1. ______and ______are sometimes used to keep seafood and caviar very cold and for their dramatic appeal.
  1. Composed hors d’oeuvre are made up of ______components.
  1. The base for a canapé is a ______.
  1. ______allow you to add a liquid element to a hors d’oeuvre such as a sauce or a gelèe.
  1. ______is the common binder used in mousses.
  1. ______are especially appropriate for foams because the carbohydrates in their cell walls prevent the bubbles from disintegrating too quickly.
  1. Fish eggs of the highest quality are prepared by a method called ______, or “little salt.”
  1. Farm-raised ______sturgeon produces caviar similar in size, flavor and texture to that of ______caviar.

Written/Short Answer

  1. Discuss appropriate items to serve as hors d’oeuvre (especially simple, traditional offerings) and general principles that should be followed in hors d’oeuvre preparation.
  1. Explain the procedure for making a cold savory mousse, including techniques for making each of the three components. What is the proper procedure for shaping a cold savory mousse?

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