Party appetizer to flex?

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ENK

ENK

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I’m heading to a Christmas Eve gathering this weekend and need to bring an appetizer. It’s about 20 guests and most like to cook + eat so I try to make something that shows off a bit. You know, be the answer when everyone is asking “Who made that??” Sometimes you just wanna bring the showstopper!

Last year I made Jean-George’s fried sushi cakes and that was perfect: tasty, looks cool, feels fancy. Anyone have a go-to app recipe for these purposes? I don’t mind a cooking project (deep frying certainly is an option) but I’m not gonna show up with caviar, lobster tails, uni, etc for 20 people.

 
Maybe not so elaborate but im a fan of the salmon rillette from le bernadin. I serve them very simply on a half a new potato. You could also make a salsa verde and do half the potato with the green sauce and half with the pink rillette. I’ve used this before on a Christmas when I nominate myself as an honorary Italian American, it knocks off three of the seven fishes before you even start the meal

http://www.aveceric.com/all-recipes/salmon-rillette
 
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MrHiggins said:
Chef Steps is always a good resource for super complicated recipes. Here's one for vegan foie gras. You could make this and also a real foie gras and contrast the two...
https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/vegan-foie-gras-pate
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I saw that recently and have it only my "must try" list. I don't expect that it will taste like real foie gras. But if it even comes close, it would make a spread that is quite different and unique. I'm definitely curious…
 
Even ignoring the animal welfare aspect I found real foie gras quite underwhelming. I rather have just about any other pate, even if it's cheap supermarket stuff.
 
I've started making crawfish handpies for gatherings like this. Always a hit and the filling is a decent knife workout if you want it. Sorry I don't have a digitized recipe, this is the pic of my mom's cookbook I've been going off before I finally bought my own. I suck at folding but you get the gist.

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i got nothing. i fully anticipate my contribution of Nachos will go uneaten in this high faluting crowd! :D
 
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The one thing I keep returning to when I want to impress people is citrus-cured salmon. It’s the best way to serve salmon as an appetiser that I know of. I’ve never put this on a table without several people asking for the recipe.

As a bonus, it’s dead-simple to make and can be prepared well in advance.

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Michi said:
The one thing I keep returning to when I want to impress people is citrus-cured salmon. It’s the best way to serve salmon as an appetiser that I know of. I’ve never put this on a table without several people asking for the recipe.

As a bonus, it’s dead-simple to make and can be prepared well in advance.

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Good looking pretzels!
 
Thanks for all these suggestions! I learned the entree at this event is salmon but I'll definitely make the citrus-cured salmon and salmon rillette in the future. Leaning toward making coconut shrimp.
 
SwampDonkey said:
I've started making crawfish handpies for gatherings like this. Always a hit and the filling is a decent knife workout if you want it. Sorry I don't have a digitized recipe, this is the pic of my mom's cookbook I've been going off before I finally bought my own. I suck at folding but you get the gist.

View attachment 288785
View attachment 288789
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Is this one of Paul Prudhomme's recipe book?
 
mengwong said:
I once set out a cheese plate with a log of salted butter hidden between the Stilton and the Gouda. Guess which “cheese” vanished fastest and had people asking “wow, what was that?”
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I would probably have been one of them, being a big fan of butter, and not a fan of Stilton or Gouda. Some butters are definitely worth that kind of praise.
 
mengwong said:
I once set out a cheese plate with a log of salted butter hidden between the Stilton and the Gouda. Guess which “cheese” vanished fastest and had people asking “wow, what was that?”
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If Gouda style cheese is young and pasteurized it isn't that different from butter anyway. :D
 
cooktocut said:
Wow… that is one heck of a combination. Was it good?
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It was fun!

One of those just because we can maybe we shouldn't but we're gonna do it anyways moments. Doesnt make any sense or take any skills. Overall, it was terrible, but in a terribly awesome way 😆
 
YumYumSauce said:
It was fun!

One of those just because we can maybe we shouldn't but we're gonna do it anyways moments. Doesnt make any sense or take any skills. Overall, it was terrible, but in a terribly awesome way 😆
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Yeah, instead of outright saying “that sounds awful” I figured I’d hedge my bets and just ask… you never know on this forum who you could be dealing with. Next thing you know I’m being humbled on my limited knowledge of food and flavor pairings lol

I just hope you used Hidden Valley.
 
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