Long before I started my apprenticeship as a chef, I learned from my mother that in the kitchen ingenuity is as useful as money. My mother, like other housewives of modest means, could not afford to throw away what you in America call leftovers. The remains of one meal would be cleverly disguised to appear at the beginning of a following meal. So it was in my humble home in France that I first knew hors-d'oeuvre. Since then, I have seen hors-d'oeuvre in many wealthy homes. Their ingredients are the delicacies of the world, and they are served with great ceremony. But it is not necessary to have imported Molossol caviar or genuine pâté de foie gras. All that my mother had were her leftovers, a bit of creative genius, and a feeling for food, and I assure you, her hors-d'oeuvre were excellent.
In most countries of Europe, it is the custom to start luncheon or dinner with hors-d'oeuvre variés, a variety of avory foodstuffs which are literally “outside of the work” and not a regular course of the meal. In America, where cocktail parties are so much the mode, hors-d'oeuvre are often removed from the province of the dining room entirely and passed with the cocktails to guests. Different countries, of course, use their own favorite delicacies and culinary arts to prepare these savories. In Italy, they are known as antipasto; in Sweden, the world-famous smörgåsbord are eaten everywhere; in Russia they are zakouski. But hors-d'oeuvre is the word most generally used and the one understood wherever you may be.
Once I tried to translate this international word to some youngsters i was showing through the kitchens of the old Ritz. I told them it was something that started a meal. One of them immediately asked, “Then is soup an hors-d'oeuvre?” And another boy, of French parentage, added, “On Saturdays our whole lunch is hors-d'oeuvre.” You see how a couple of enfants terribles can trip up even an old-timer. And, to give the little devils their due, it is true that large portions of the heartier hors-d'oeuvre may constitute the whole of a light lunch or supper. Anyone who has lived in France Will recall the leisurely lunches of saucissons, salads, pâté, marinated fish, deviled eggs, and the like, eaten with plenty of fresh, crusty French bread, and washed down with a light, dry wine, usually a vin blanc that has been nicely chilled. And nothing, I might add. tastes better in warm weather, especially folly when eaten, as the French love to ear. on a shady terrace. Hut here in America, the dining room is always pleasantly warm, and I could enjoy this kind of meal even in midwinter.
In France, the ravier is the dish universally employed in restaurants and in homes for serving hors-d'oeuvre. It is a shallow dish made of heavy porcelain or pottery and is usually square or oblong, a convenient shape which makes it possible to line up a number of these raviers on the rolling table or car used in restaurants or on the tray which is more customary in home service Of course, the number of foodsruffs which can be used on the hors-d'oeuvre tray is limitless, and each country has its own preferred specialties. Many of the marinated vegetables, salads, and other appetizers are made up in the kitchen for immediate serving. Hut there are great numbers of savories packed in tin or glass, or stuffed into skins, and shipped all over the world. Famous the world over are the caviar from Russia, the pâtés from France, the sausages and hams from France, Italy, and Germany. From all over Europe, but especially from Scandinavia, come many delicious fish preparations, while England contributes its pressed beef and relishes. And here in the United States we pack our own excellent domestic varieties of fine relishes, fish, and meat products. Most of them are ready to serve.
In the days of the Czars, the Russian nobility made famous the zakouski, with which they often began their regal repasts. Zakouski were not served in the dining room proper, but were splendidly arrayed in another salon, where the assembled guests could choose from a sumptuous display of meat and fish specialties. unusual salads, and savory, exotic hot foods. Champagne in elegant silver coolers, grand vins, and bottle upon bottle of their beloved vodka kept appetites piqued for the banquets that followed. The greatest delicacies were, as they are still, the fresh sturgeon caviar and the smoked sturgeon, although by some gourmets the pâté de foie gras of Alsace is even more prized.
In my day at the Ritz hotels in Paris and London, and in my early years at the New York Ritz, we always had a special refrigerator for our most highly prized foodstuff, the fresh Molossol caviar, ordered by the hundred pounds from Russia. It was gray in color, large grained, and not very salty because a little benzoate of soda had been added to it as a preservative. The use of this chemical is now strictly limited by law, and caviar, which now must be preserved only with salt, is sometimes too salty for true connoisseurs.
Caviar at the buffet is properly served in its original container set in a large bowl of crushed ice, although for special festive occasions. a fancy ice mold, shaped, for example, in the form of a swan, can be used. A porcelain or ivory spoon for service will spare the grains from being crushed. Chopped hard-cooked eggs, chives, onions, or sour cream, always in separate dishes, are appropriate garnishes for caviar. And of course, freshly made toast or rye or whole-wheat bread should be provided. At the dining table, caviar can be served with melted butter and blinis, small thin Russian buckwheat pancakes similar to our French crêpes. On French menus this dish is called crêpes de Sarrasin. At the old Ritz we often baked special tiny brioches, éclairs, or puff paste shells for caviar. Or we placed the delicate roe in a cleaned oyster shell and decorated the edge with mimosa, a mixture of finely chopped hard-cooked egg and parsley. What is the most suitable beverage with caviar? Many gourmets, including Mr. Robert Goelet, who owned the Ritz, believe that the only fitting wine for such a rare delicacy is the driest of champagnes, In my early days in this country, when the Ritz was considered the last word in sophistication. small fortunes were spent at New Year's Eve festivities in our various dining rooms for thousands of servings of fresh caviar and champagne. But c'est fini—those days are gone; nowadays, little fresh caviar is served in America. Instead you see the glistening black, small-grained, salty variety, which comes in tins and jars and is mostly used for canapés. And more and more use is made of the red salmon caviar, a more gelatinous roe than that of the sturgeon. This red caviar is less expensive than the black, since it is packed here and in Canada, and there is plenty of it to be had.
The plover's egg, a favorite hors-d'oeuvre in the very best Parisian restaurants, is even more unusual than caviar. Years ago, we used to serve them to the guests of the Ritz hotels in London and New York, but I have not seen them in America since the first World War. These tiny eggs are always served in little baskets, where they nestle on a decorative bed of fresh green water cress. Because the whites become almost transparent when they are cooked, half of the shell is removed from each to permit the bright yolk to shine through its white covering.
But let us leave these recherché hors-d'ocuvre and turn to a popular—and inexpensive—favorite, the oyster. Every country has its own variety of a particular size and flavor, and every oyster lover has his own special preference. To derive the choicest flavor from an oyster, it is essential that it be opened just before it is served. As a cold hors-d'oeuvre, oysters may be treated in the American manner, the freshly opened half shells placed on cracked ice and accompanied with lemon juice, horseradish, or a spicy tomato cocktail sauce. Or one can follow the French method of accompanying the oysters with buttered whole-wheat bread and mignonette sauce, compounded of mild wine vinegar, finely chopped shallots, and a liberal amount of finely crushed black pepper. Many people enjoy hot oyster hors-d'oeuvre and others like oysters cooked, chilled, and marinated as a kind of salad. But whichever way you prepare them, let me advise you not to rink hard liquor with oysters. The alcohol will harden them, and they will be indigestible. A dry white wine is the perfect taste complement for oysters and poses no such problem.
The gastronomic specialties we have just been discussing are but a very few of the limitless possibilities for the hors-d'oeuvre tray. Willi a piquant salad dressing or marinade one can create many savory foodstuffs from odds and ends of vegetables and little bits of fish and meat. Be artful with your seasonings and colorful with your garnishes and you can produce literally hundreds of combinations of attractive and delicious hors-d'oeuvre. Pâtés of game, pork liver, or combined veal and pork, headcheese, rillettes of pork, and many other famous preparations, once made, will fortunately stay fresh for a long time in the refrigerator so that the makings of hors-d'oeuvre are always ready at hand. Bring forth one of these specialties, add a marinated fish or vegetable, a tinned product such as sardines, a few olives, and pimientos, all in their separate raviers, and you will have hors-d'oeuvre varies as flavorsome and attractive as any fine restaurant could provide.
Calf's Feet Vinaigrette
In the summer, when aspic is needed for many cold dishes, calf's feet are usually cooked with stock in order to extract the gelatin from them. The meat which clings to the cooked bones is always used in France for hors-d'oeuvre. Remove the meat from the bones and serve it either lukewarm or cool, but never icy cold (when too cold, it is firm and stiff). Serve with French dressing (see below) mixed with finely chopped parsley, chives, and tarragon,and garnish with chopped hard-cooked eggs.
Fresh Calf's or Lamb's Tongues
In a saucepan combine 2 tablespoons flour, 2 to 3 tablespoons vinegar, and the juice of 1 lemon. Add 2 quarts water, 1 tablespoon salt, and the calf's or lamb's tongues. Bring the water to a boil and cook the tongues for about 1 hour, or until lender. Cool the tongues in the liquor, then cut them into thin slices, and arrange in a ravier or bowl. Spread sliced or chopped sour pickles and chopped hard-cooked eggs over the slices. Moisten with French dressing, and sprinkle with chopped parsley and chives.
French Dressing
Combine 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, a little pepper, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or 1 tablespoon vinegar. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil, little by little, stirring vigorously until the mixture is well combined.
Calf's or Lamb's Brains Vinaigrette
Wash the brains in cold water and remove the connective membranes. Soak the brains in cold water for a few hours. changing the water occasionally. Make a court-bouillon of 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 5 peppercorns, half an onion, and 1 small carrot, both sliced, a fagot of 1 stalk of celery, 3 or 4 sprigs of parsley, a little thyme, and 1 small bay leaf, all tied together, and enough cold water to cover the brains. Add the brains to the court-bouillon, bring to a boil, and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove the brains from the cooking liquid, cut them into slices, and spread the slices with chopped hard-cooked egg. Cover the brains with French dressing and sprinkle with finely chopped chives, tarragon, and chervil. if available, and a few capers.
Red Wine Marinade for Hors-d'Oeuvre
Follow the directions for white wine marinade, substituting 4 cups red wine for the 3 cups white wine and omitting the vinegar.
Marinated Anchovies
Clean fresh anchovies, sprinkle them with salt, and let stand for 1 to 2 hours. Cook the anchovies in just enough oil to cover the bottom of a shallow pan for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden on both sides. Transfer the anchovies to a bowl, pour over them a white wine marinade, and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Serve in a ravier. Garnish the edge of the dish with Strips of pimiento and chopped hard-cooked eggs and sprinkle the anchovy filets with capers and finely chopped parsley.
White Wine Marinade for Hors-d'Oeuvre
Stew 1 onion and half a carrot, both sliced, in 2 tablespoons oil until the vegetables are tender but not brown. Add 2 stalks of celery, minced, 1 tablespoon chopped shallot, 1 clove of garlic, chopped, a little thyme, 1 small bay leaf, A sprigs of parsley, 8 to 10 peppercorns, 1 clove, ½ cup vinegar, and 3 cups white wine. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer slowly for 30 to 35 minutes.
Eels with Paprika
Cut eels, skinned and cleaned, into pieces 1 to 1 ½ inches long. Saute 1 small onion, chopped, in 1 tablespoon oil until the onion begins to turn golden. Add the cels, 1 tablespoon paprika, 2 cups white wine, or enough to cover the fish, 1 tablespoon chopped shallot or onion, a little thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 stalk of celery, minced, 3 sprigs of parsley, a little salt, and 6 to 8 peppercorns, Bring to a boil, cover the pan and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the fish is tender. The bones should separate easily from the meat. Stir in 1 teaspoon gelatin, softened in a little cold water, and cool. When cold, remove the bone from the center of each piece of eel and cut the meat lengthwise into filets. Put the fish in a serving dish, strain the cooking liquid over it, and chill in the refrigerator. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving.
Cherries for Hors-d'Oenvre
Wash and dry firm red sour cherries, remove the stems, and put the cherries in a sterilized jar. Combine 2 cups vinegar and 2 cups brown sugar, bring the mixture to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add a few cloves, a piece of stick cinnamon, and a few strips of lemon rind. Cover the cherries with the spiced vinegar and seal the jar. They will be ready to serve in a few weeks.
Escabècbe of Fish
Use small whole fish, such as smelts, fresh anchovies, or fresh sardines, or cut fish filets into small pieces about the size of smelts. Clean the fish and roll in flour. Fry the fish in hot deep fat (370°F.) for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden, drain thoroughly, and put them in a deep earthenware dish. Saute' 1 carrot and 1 onion, both sliced, and 5 or 6 cloves of garlic in ½ cup hot olive oil until the onion begins to turn golden. Add 1 cup vinegar, ½ cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, a little pepper, a little thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 1 pimiento, chopped. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the marinade over the fish and marinate for 24 hours before serving.
Marinated Herring
Clean 18 to 24 herring and arrange them in a saucepan. In another saucepan bring to a boil 3 cups white wine and 1 ½ cups vinegar with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 carrot, and 2 onions, both thinly sliced, 1 shallot, finely chopped, a little thyme, 1 small hay leaf, a little sage, 4 sprigs of parsley, and 8 peppercorns. Simmer this marinade until the onions and carrots are tender, pour it over the herring, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer the herring to a deep porcelain dish, cover them with the marinade, and chill thoroughly. Serve the fish in a racier or hors-d'oeuvre dish garnished with slices of carrot and raw onion, slices of lemon from which the rind has been removed, and enough of the marinade to keep the fish moist.
Herring Ganadienne
Dice some filets of smoked herring. Slice thinly an equal amount of cooked potatoes and dice an equal amount of sour apples. Combine the herring, potatoes, and apples in a bowl with 1 teaspoon chopped chives, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon mixed chopped chervil and tarragon, and, if available, a little fennel. Moisten with French dressing (see page 46) and serve in a ravier or hors-d'oeuvre dish.
Mussels for Hors-d'Oeuvre
Scrub mussels thoroughly and steam them in a small amount of water for a few minutes until the shells open. Remove the mussels from the shells, cut away the beard or fringe around the edge, and chill the mussels thoroughly. Serve with mayonnaise mixed with mustard and a little cream or with cream mustard, made by mixing together ½ cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, a few drops of lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper.
Rillettes of Pork
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan combine 1 ½ pounds of fresh lean pork and 2 pounds of fat pork, both finely diced, a little pepper, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, a pinch of poultry seasoning, 1 bay leaf, and 1 cup boiling water. Cook the mixture slowly, stirring occasionally until the water is cooked away and the meat and fat are brown. Drain in a colander, saving the fat that drains out. Discard the bay leaf from the meat and grind the meat very finely. Gradually stir in all but about 1 cup of the hot fat, and pack the mixture into small jars. Pour the remaining fat over it and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Pork liver Pâté
Grind very finely 2 pounds of pork liver, ¾ pound of lean pork, and ¾ pound of fat salt pork and stir in very thoroughly 1 tablespoon flour. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add ½ teaspoon salt, a pinch of poultry seasoning, a pinch of thyme, 1 bay leaf, powdered, 2 shallots or 1 small onion, finely chopped, and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Line the bottom and sides of a bread pan or baking dish with thin slices of fat salt pork, pack in the meat mixture, and cover the top with slices of fat salt pork. Set the dish in a pan of boiling water and bake the pâté in a moderate oven (375° F.) for 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hours. Cool, unmold, and serve sliced.
Beef Salad
Wash 6 medium beets and bake them in a moderately hot oven (375° F.) for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Peel the beets, cool, and cut them into julienne. Combine the beets with ½ tup chopped scallions and French dressing (see page 46) or cream mustard, made by mixing together ½ cup heavy cream. 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, a few drops lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper.
Mushrooms for Hors-d'Oeuvre
Use small button mushrooms, if possible. Wash them and remove the stems. If large mushrooms must be used, cut them into large dice. For each pound of mushrooms put in a saucepan 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon each of chopped shallots and onion, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the mush- rooms, cover the saucepan, and stew the mushrooms for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool, turn the mushrooms into a ravier with some of the cooking liquid, and sprinkle them with chopped parsley. The liquid may be thickened with a little mayonnaise or cream mustard sauce.
Stuffed Eggs
Many cold hors-d'oeuvre dishes are made more attractive by aspic, the recipe for which was given in the January GOURMET.
Cut hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolks. Press the yolks through a fine sieve and mix them with half their volume in mayonnaise, some finely chopped chives and parsley, and salt to taste. Fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture, using a pastry tube, and arrange them in a serving dish. Garnish the eggs with mayonnaise and sprinkle with paprika, or coat than with aspic and sprinkle with tarragon.
Eggs Stuffed with Fish
Cut hard-cooked eggs in half length-wise and remove the yolks. Press the yolks through a line sieve and mix with a puree of cooked fish or shellfish, a little mayonnaise, and some finely chopped parsley. Fill the egg whites and arrange them in a serving dish. Coat the eggs with aspic and sprinkle with finely chopped tarragon.
Cold Eggs World's Fair
Cut hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolks. Press the yolks through a fine sieve and mix with an equal amount of avocado puree and chopped cooked ham. Add a little mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Arrange thin slices of smoked ox tongue on a serving dish, place the egg whites on top, and fill the whites with the stuffing. Coat the eggs with aspic and sprinkle them with a mixture of finely chopped parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil.
Eggs with Caviar
Cut hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolks. Fill the hollows with caviar and garnish the edge with the egg yolks, finely chopped and mixed with finely chopped parsley.
Eggs Mollets for Hors-d'Oeuvre
Cook fresh eggs in simmering water for 5 to 6 minutes, chill them quickly, and remove the shells. The yolks should be soft and the whites firm. In a serving dish arrange slices of cooked ham or ox tongue or sliced fresh tomatoes or cooked artichoke bottoms, or chopped cooked vegetables mixed with mayonnaise. Place the eggs on top, coat them with aspic, and decorate with parboiled tarragon leaves or with chopped mixed tarragon and chervil.
Cucumbers Stuffed with Oysters or Mussels
Cut cucumbers into pieces about 1 inch long and remove enough of the seedy center from each piece to form tiny baskets large enough to hold a mussel or an oyster. Poach oysters or mussels in their own juice for a few minutes and drain. Cool them and trim the edges. Cook the liquor until it is reduced to almost nothing and mix it with a little chili sauce. Roll the oysters or mussels in the sauce, place them in the baskets, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna Fish
Combine ¼ pound of canned tuna fish, finely flaked, with 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, ½ teaspoon mixed chopped chervil and tarragon, the chopped while of 1 hard-cooked egg, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste. Plunge 6 medium, firm tomatoes into boiling water and then in to cold water and slip off the skins. Cut off the tops, discard some of the center pulp, and squeeze the tomatoes gently to remove the seeds and surplus juice. Stuff the tomatoes with the tuna fish mixture and cover the stuffing with egg yolk pressed through a coarse sieve. Arrange the tomatoes on a serving dish and garnish the dish with sprays of water cress.