Small bites Archives - Pagina 2 van 3

Crostini

Crostini are one of the easiest canapés or small bites to make and are the perfect carrier for any topping.

This is how you make them:
If you have time to plan ahead, buy a French baguette the day before you need it. Day old bread is easier to slice thinly. So, once you've sliced it thinly, lay the slices on an oven tray and brush generously on both sides with olive oil. We generally use an extra virgin, but don't use an expensive one.

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Once the oven has reached temperature, bake the crostini for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Depending on your oven, you may have to turn the crostini over during the baking so that they're an even colour. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow them to cool. When cool, store them in an airtight container; they'll keep for weeks. Be sure to make a large batch each time as they are a great stand-by to have when time is short or you have unexpected guests.

Now the world is your oyster when it comes to toppings. Use whatever you like and let your creative juices flow. Assemble them at the last minute so that you don't run the risk of them going soggy. Think wild mushrooms cooked down with a little garlic and cream, topped with Taleggio cheese and flashed under the grill; Parmaham, rocket, homemade chutney and a curl of foie gras or fresh pea and mint puree topped with pecorino and pea cress. Now all you need is a glass if bubbly and the party can get started!

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours

by Bernadette Evers

Tomato, Basil and Parmesan Quiche

Ingredients
Pastry
280 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
140 g cold butter, cut into pieces
a pinch of salt

Filling
300 g cherry tomatoes
10 ml fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper
drizzle olive oil
50 g parmesan, grated
2 eggs
250 ml cream
small bunch basil leaves, shredded, plus a few small ones left whole for scattering

Method
Heat the oven to 120 C. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and lay on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and bake for 1 hour until slightly dried and the flavour concentrated.

To make the pastry, tip the flour, a pinch of salt and butter into a bowl, then rub together with your fingertips until completely mixed and crumbly. Add 8 tablespoons cold water, then bring everything together with your hands until just combined. Roll into a ball and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a round about 5cm larger than a 25cm tin. Use your rolling pin to lift it up, then drape over the tart case so there is an overhang of pastry on the sides. Using a small ball of pastry scraps, push the pastry into the corners of the tin. Chill in the fridge or freezer for 20 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 180 C.

Lightly prick the base of the tart with a fork, line the tart case with a large circle of greaseproof paper or foil, then fill with dried beans or rice. Blind-bake the tart for 20 minutes, remove the paper and beans, then continue to cook for 5-10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove the tart case from the oven.

While the tart is cooking, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Gradually add the cream, then stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. When the case is ready, sprinkle half the cheese over the base, scatter over the tomatoes, pour over the cream mix, then finally scatter over the rest of the cheese. Bake for 20-25 mins until set and golden brown. Leave to cool in the case, trim the edges of the pastry, then remove from the tin. Scatter over the remaining basil and serve in slices with a green salad.

by Bernadette Evers

Bagels with Pastrami and Sauerkraut

Bagels are continually gaining popularity in Holland. They should be dense and chewy, as bagels are first boiled and then baked. Combined with a pastrami (which is beef that has been brined, spiced, smoked and steamed) and a few other delicious things, you're on to an absolute winner.

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 bagels
100 g sliced pastrami
3 pickled gherkins
about 50 g of sauerkraut
3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise mixed together with piccalilli (according to your taste)

Method
Slice the bagels in half. Spread the tops and bottoms with the piccalilli mayonnaise.

Lay the sauerkraut on the bottom half of the bagel. Top with the sliced pastrami.

Slice the gherkins lengthways and place on top of the pastrami. Replace the caps of the bagels and serve.

by Bernadette Evers

Club Sandwich - Amsterdam Flavours Style

All too often, we are served sandwiches consisting of limp bread and flavourless, uninspiring fillings. So, we've taken it upon ourselves to change all that and show you with just a little care and attention, that a sandwich and be exciting and leave you wanting more.

Serves 3

Ingredients
9 slices white spelt bread
2 free range or organic chicken breasts
100 g smokey bacon rashers
2 avocados
1 small red onion
50 g rocket
mayonnaise, for spreading
salt and pepper
olive oil

Method
Heat a grill pan over high heat and grill the bread on both sides. Halve the avocados, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Mash roughly using a fork and season with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Finely slice the onion and halve the chicken breasts horizontally, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and fry the bacon until crispy. Remove on to a plate. Fry the chicken in the same pan with the bacon fat for about 3 minutes on each side.

Lay out the slices of grilled bread. Spread the mashed avocado on the first layer and top with the crispy bacon. On the second slice of bread, spread generously with mayonnaise. Top with a handful of rocket leaves and some red onion. Slice the chicken breasts and lay them on top.

Place the chicken layer on top of the avocado layer, topping the sandwich off with the remaining grilled bread and securing it with a skewer.

Serve on wooden board or plates and dig in!

by Bernadette Evers

Chilled Oysters with Caviar

This is perfect to serve as a canapé or serve 3 to 4 as a starter.

Ingredients
1 cucumber, cut into thin julienne
2 slices of smoked salmon, cut into thin julienne
2 shallots, finely chopped
12 sprigs of dill, finely chopped
375ml crème fraiche
salt and pepper
lemon juice, to taste
24 Gironde oysters
1 pot Avruga caviar

Method
Gently mix the julienne of cucumber and smoked salmon with the shallots and dill. Season the crème fraiche with salt and pepper, add just enough of the crème fraiche to bind the cucumber mixture. Add a little lemon juice to taste.

Open the oysters and clean the deep half shells. Place the shells on four oyster plates and fill with the cucumber and salmon mixture.

Place the oysters back in their shells and add a teaspoon of caviar to each. Serve immediately.

For an alternate presentation, or if you don’t have any oyster plates, serve the oysters on a bed of very fine julienne of carrots, leeks and beetroot.

by Mischa de Winter

Weekend Lunch

Before you go to the market this weekend and restock your fridge with fresh produce, use up the vegetables you have left in the fridge for lunch. Here are 2 easy ways:

Roasted Vegetables
Heat the oven to 200 C. Roughly chop and aubergine, red pepper, courgette and a couple of red onions. Toss them in a roasting dish with some fresh thyme and a couple of whole, unpeeled garlic cloves, olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and tinged with a golden hue. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Aubergine Spread
Take 2 aubergines, and chop them into 1 cm cubes. Heat a griddle pan over medium-high heat. Toss the aubergine cubes in olive oil and grill until tender and coloured. Season with salt and pepper. Place half in a food processor with a couple of tablespoons good mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Pulse to a chunky puree. Transfer to a bowl and fold the remaining aubergine pieces through. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

by Mischa de Winter

Parsnip Chips

Parsnips are in season at the moment. Instead of roasting, mashing or making soup out of them, why not turn them into chips.

It couldn't be simpler. Take a bunch of parsnips and wash off any dirt. Peel them with a vegetable peeler and top and tail them. Using the vegetable peeler, take long, thin strips, the entire length of the parsnip. You could also slice them into rounds on a mandolin if you have one, but please watch out for your fingers!

Heat a pan with sunflower oil to deep fry, or use a deep fryer set at 170 C. When the oil is hot, deep fry the parsnips. Don't over load the pan, but rather do it in batches. Also, make sure the oil is not too hot - parsnips contain a lot of natural sugars and therefore can brown very quickly. Once they're a lovely light golden colour, remove with a slotted spoon onto some kitchen paper to drain. Repeat until all the parsnips have been used up. Season with salt. They can be stored for a day or two in an airtight container.

Parsnip chips make a great textural garnish, adding some crunch, to any meat main dish from beef, chicken to game. They also make a great snack with drinks. So much better than supermarket chips and a great way to impress your friends!

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours

by Mischa de Winter

Pear and Saffron Chutney

Autumn is the prefect time to use pears, which are fully in season. Other than poaching or roasting them, why not turn them into a chutney. This also makes a great gift to give to others.

This recipe has been adapted from renowned British chef, Jason Atherton.

Makes about 1 kg

Ingredients
160 g onions, diced (about 2 onions, depending on their size)
200 g apples, peeled, cored and diced (about 2 apples)
200 g sultanas or golden raisins
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
40 g finely chopped fresh ginger
200 ml white wine vinegar
1 kg pears, peeled, cored and diced
350 g caster sugar
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, infused in 1 Tablespoon warm water

Method
Place all the ingredients except for the pears, sugar and saffron in a large pot. Bring to the boil, stirring often and cook until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds. Add the sugar and the saffron and cook for further 5 minutes.

Add the pears and cook gently, uncovered for about 1-2 hours or until the chutney is thick and syrupy. The chutney is ready when you can draw a line across the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Spoon the chutney into sterilized jars and seal while still hot. Store in a cool place.

We also make the pear chutney ourselves. Please contact us if you like to order. Subject to availability.

by Bernadette Evers

Weekend Canapés

The weekend is a great time to visit the market and different specialty food shops. Here are 2 simple and delicious recipes to serve with drinks. Click here to find out how to make crostini's.

Mushroom and Taleggio Crostini

Ingredients
15 g dried porcini
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove
500 g mixed mushrooms
salt and pepper
100 ml cream
300 g Taleggio cheese

Method
Soak the porcini in warm water for about 10 minutes.

Finley chop the garlic, slice the mushrooms. Squeeze the water out of the porcini and chop them up too.

Heat a frying pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil and fry the mushrooms and porcini over high heat. Add the garlic about half way through the cooking. Season with salt and pepper and add enough cream to bind the mushroom mixture, about 100 ml.

Slice the taleggio. Top the crostini with some mushroom mixture, a slice of Taleggio and place in a hot oven until the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes. Serve while still warm.

Veal Sweatbreads with Capers

Ingredients
500 g veal sweetbreads
seasoned flour, for dusting
olive oil, for frying
100g unsalted butter
4 tbsp capers, drained
squeeze lemon juice
3 tbsp chopped parsley

Method
Bring a pot of seasoned water, flavoured with a bay leaf, some sprigs of thyme and parsley stalks to the boil. Add the sweetbreads and poach gently for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pot, weight between 2 plates and allow to cool. Once the sweetbreads have been weighted down and cooled, peel the skin off using a small kife. Lightly dust the sweetbreads with seasoned flour.

Heat a frying pan and add enough oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Add the sweetbreads and fry undisturbed until golden and crusty underneath. Turn and repeat with the other side.

Add the butter to the pan and cook until dark and nutty, flipping the sweetbreads in it. Add the capers, lemon juice to taste, parsley and a pinch of salt.

Spoon on to crostini and serve.

by Mischa de Winter

Easy 'Fondue' (baked cheese)

Ingredients
2 Saint Felicien or other favourite cheese, in an oven-proof container
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs rosemary
1 small Turkish bread
2 figs
2 Belgian endive
olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 200° C. Remove the plastic from the cheeses and place them back in their containers. Make a few incisions in to the cheeses. Slice one garlic clove into thin slivers and finely chop the other. Pick the rosemary leaves off the stalks. Insert the garlic slivers and some of the rosemary leaves into the incisions made in the cheeses.

Drizzle the bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the remaining rosemary and finely chopped garlic clove. Place the cheese in the oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Place the bread in the oven for the last 5 minutes of the cooking time. Slice the figs into wedges and loosen the leaves from the endive.

Slice the bread into ‘fingers’. Serve the melted cheese in their heatproof dishes on a wooden board with the figs, endive and bread.

* Saint Felicien is available at Bilder & de Clercq stores in Amsterdam.

by Bernadette Evers