Appetizers, Canapés, and Dips French Country Pâté [2] Smoked Salmon–Stuffed Eggs [30] Kentucky Country Ham Mousse [4] Portuguese Sardine- and Caper- Stuffed Eggs [31] Spanish Chorizo–Stuffed Mushrooms [6] Maryland Deviled Crab [32] Scottish Deviled Kidney Spread [8] Greek Taramasalata [34] Greek Lamb, Raisin, and Pine Singapore Crabmeat and Nut Spanakopitas [10] Peanut Toasts [35] French Rillettes of Pork [12] Minced Clam, Black Olive, and Parmesan Canapés [36] Charleston Hobotee [14] Scandinavian Smoked Trout Spiced Chicken and Ham Spread [16] Canapés [37] Yorkshire Potted Ham Canapés [17] French Salt Cod Spread [38] Russian Chopped Chicken Liver [18] Potted Shrimp Spread [40] Italian Chicken Liver and Japanese Shrimp Spread Mushroom Crostini [19] with Sake [41] Austrian Poultry, COPYRIGHTEDMeat, and MATERIAL Classic Smoked Salmon Spread [42] Hazelnut Terrine [21] Charleston Shrimp Paste [43] French Duck Liver Terrine with Pistachios [23] Horseradish Shrimp Dip [45] Montauk Clam Fritters [25] Boston Clam Dip [46] Key West Conch Fritters [26] Mediterranean Sardine Dip [47] Brazilian Salt Cod Fritters [28] Italian Hot Anchovy Dip [48] 005_9780470571651_ch01.indd5_9780470571651_ch01.indd 1 77/15/11/15/11 11:50:50 PMPM French Country Pâté No ground meat specialty is more subtle and glori- ous than a genuine French country pâté served with toasted French bread and the tiny, tart pickles known as cornichons, and this has been my standard recipe for as long as I can re- member. Pork fat is essential for a perfect texture, so unless you want a dry pâté, don’t skimp on this important ingredient. Equally important to the texture is the weighting down of the pâté after it has cooked, and I fi nd nothing is handier than a board I cut specially to fi t inside the mold and on which I place a brick or a few canned goods. The pâté should be served just Makes 8 to 10 servings chilled, not cold. 1 pound fresh pork fat 1 pound lean pork shoulder ¹⁄₂ pound cooked ham ¹⁄₄ pound chicken livers, trimmed 4 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 large eggs ¹⁄₄ cup brandy 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground allspice ¹⁄₄ teaspoon dried thyme ¹⁄₄ cup all-purpose fl our From the Ground Up 2 005_9780470571651_ch01.indd5_9780470571651_ch01.indd 2 77/15/11/15/11 11:50:50 PMPM 1. Thinly slice about one-quarter of the pork fat and line a 1¹⁄₂- quart pâté mold or terrine with the slices, allowing the long ends to hang outside the mold. Set aside. 2. In a food processor, fi nely grind the remaining pork fat, pork shoulder, and ham and scrape the mixture into a bowl. Place the chicken livers, garlic, cream, eggs, and brandy in the food processor and grind coarsely. Add about one-third of the pork and ham mixture to the livers and grind just till well blended. 3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 4. Scrape the contents of the food processor into the mixture in the bowl, add all the remaining ingredients, and stir till well blended and smooth. Fill the prepared mold with the pâté mix- ture and fold the overhanging strips of pork fat over the top. Cover tightly with heavy foil, place the mold in a shallow baking pan with about 2 inches of water, and bake for 3 hours. Remove the foil and continue baking till the top of the pâté is slightly crusted, about 20 minutes. 5. Remove the pan from the oven, place a board or another pan or dish that is slightly smaller than the mold on top of the baked pâté, stack heavy objects on top, and weight the pâté till it is completely cooled and the texture is fi rm (about 3 hours). (There will be an overfl ow of fat after weights are placed on top.) 6. Chill the pâté overnight. Bring almost to room temperature be- fore serving in thin or medium slices. Appetizers, Canapés, and Dips 3 005_9780470571651_ch01.indd5_9780470571651_ch01.indd 3 77/15/11/15/11 11:50:50 PMPM Kentucky Country Ham Mousse Kentucky produces some of the South’s greatest cured country hams, but as any Rebel cook knows, it’s always a prob- lem wondering what to do with the hardened ends and odd pieces of any baked ham. This molded mousse is one delicious solution, and thanks to the miracle of the food processor, it is not only relatively easy but also fairly quick to prepare—not counting the chilling time required. Garnished with sprigs of watercress, parsley, or rosemary, the mousse is ideal for a cocktail buffet. Ordinary smoked ham can be substituted, but Makes about 5 cups the mousse will not have half the fl avor. 4 tablespoons (¹⁄₂ stick) butter ¹⁄₄ cup all-purpose fl our 1 cup milk, heated 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ¹⁄₄ teaspoon powdered sage Cayenne pepper to taste ¹⁄₄ cup Madeira 2 large egg yolks ¹⁄₂ cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons unfl avored powdered gelatin ¹⁄₂ cup chicken broth 1 pound cured country ham, trimmed of fat and cut into chunks Watercress, parsley, or rosemary sprigs for garnish From the Ground Up 4 005_9780470571651_ch01.indd5_9780470571651_ch01.indd 4 77/15/11/15/11 11:50:50 PMPM 1. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat, add the fl our, and whisk the roux for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, reduce the heat to low, and whisk the mixture till very thick. Add the mustard, sage, cayenne, and Madeira and stir till very well blended. 2. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks and heavy cream, whisk till well blended, and stir in a little of the hot sauce. Add the mixture to the hot sauce and continue cooking over low heat, whisking till thickened. 3. In another small bowl, soften the gelatin in the chicken broth Garnished for 5 minutes, then stir it into the hot sauce. Place the ham into with sprigs of a meat grinder or food processor, grind fi nely, and stir into the sauce. watercress, parsley, or 4. Scrape the mixture into a 1-quart mold, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 6 hours. Unmold the mousse on a large rosemary, serving dish, garnish the edges with watercress, and serve with the mousse rectangles of toast or crackers. is ideal for a cocktail buffet. Appetizers, Canapés, and Dips 5 005_9780470571651_ch01.indd5_9780470571651_ch01.indd 5 77/15/11/15/11 11:50:50 PMPM Spanish Chorizo– Stuffed Mushrooms Approach a bar in Madrid or Barcelona for a glass of crisp fi no sherry and this is one of the many tempting tapas you might fi nd on a colorful plate. I like to serve the stuffed mush- rooms as an appetizer preceding any seafood and rice casse- role, but they’re also perfect for a formal buffet. Spanish-style chorizo sausage is now available at most delis and markets, but 1 if you’re unable to fi nd it, substitute ⁄3 cup of fi nely chopped pepperoni. My favorite mushrooms for this dish are cremini or medium shiitakes, which have much more fl avor than the ordi- Makes 4 to 6 servings nary button variety. 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing mushrooms 1 Spanish chorizo sausage, skinned and fi nely chopped 1 small onion, fi nely chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 dozen large mushrooms (about 1 pound), stems fi nely chopped and caps reserved 2 tablespoons sherry ¹⁄₂ cup dry bread crumbs 1 large egg yolk, beaten 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste From the Ground Up 6 005_9780470571651_ch01.indd5_9780470571651_ch01.indd 6 77/15/11/15/11 11:50:50 PMPM 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat, add the cho- rizo, and stir for 1 minute. Add the onion, garlic, and mushroom stems and stir till the mushrooms release most of their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the sherry and let cook till it is evapo- rated. Add the bread crumbs, stir till well blended, and remove from the heat. Stir in the egg yolk, parsley, and salt and pepper till well blended, and set the fi lling aside. 3. Brush the mushroom caps with a little olive oil and arrange them in a large baking dish. Fill the caps with equal amounts of the fi lling, mounding it, and bake till golden, about 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm. Appetizers, Canapés, and Dips 7 005_9780470571651_ch01.indd5_9780470571651_ch01.indd 7 77/15/11/15/11 11:50:50 PMPM Scottish Deviled Kidney Spread In Scotland, a spicy spread such as this (as well as the Scot- tish organ meat sausage called haggis) would most often be made with beef or pork kidneys, but since these robust organs are an acquired taste, I recommend that you use much milder, utterly delectable lamb or veal kidneys. When shopping for any kidneys, look for those that are fi rm, with even color and no dry spots, and remember that kidneys are very perishable and should never be held in the refrigerator for more than a day. Since they are relatively delicate, lamb and veal kidneys should be broiled in butter just till the interiors are pinkish and Makes about 1 1 /2 cups never overcooked to prevent toughness. 2 tablespoons fruit chutney, fi nely chopped 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons prepared English mustard 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste 16 whole lamb kidneys (about 2 pounds), trimmed of fat and membranes and split lengthwise 4 tablespoons (¹⁄₂ stick) butter, melted ¹⁄₄ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves From the Ground Up 8 005_9780470571651_ch01.indd5_9780470571651_ch01.indd 8 77/15/11/15/11 11:50:50 PMPM 1.