Hors d'oeuvre and appetizers

Hors d'oeuvre and appetizers represent an opportunity for the garde manger to pull together all the various skills and preparations of the entire discipline in a hihg impact way. Just as hors d'oeuvre set the tone for a reception or banquet, so can a well-executed appetizer selection on a menu set the tone for the entire dining experience.

Taking this into consideration, there are different kinds of appetizers, among them the Venison terrine is one that I enjoyed the most, not that i have not enjoyed the rest of the work that i do making pate and terrine, it is just that it was the first time i worked with venison and it was quite different in taste, texture and presentation once it was cooked.

Ingredients

Venison shoulder, boneless or leg meat 2#

Fatback 1#

Seasonings

Red wine 2floz

Ground Clove 1/2tsp

Crushed black peppercorns 1Tbsp

TCM (tinted curing mix) 1tsp

Minced onions sauteed and cooled 1oz

Salt 1oz

Ground black pepper 2tsp

Dried cepes or morels, ground 1oz

Eggs 3ea

Heavy cream 6floz

Chopped tarragon 2tsp

Parsley Chopped 1tsp

Garnish

Golden raisins plumped in brandy 2oz

Brandy 4floz

Mushrooms diced sauteed and cooled 4oz

Thinly sliced ham 8ea

• Dice the venison and fatback into 1inch cubes. Marinate them with the combined seasonings and refrigerate overnight.
• Prepare a straight forcemeat by grinding the marnated venison and fatback into a chilled mixing bowl. Mix in the eggs, heavy cream, tarragon, and parsley on medium speed for 1 minute, or until homogeneous. Fold in the garnish ingredients.
• Line a terrine mold with plastic wrap and the ham, leaving an overhang. Pack the forcemeat into the terrine mold and fold over the ham and plastic. Cover the terrine.
• Poach the forcemeat in a 170*F water bath in a 300*F oven to an inernal temperature of 150*F for 60 to 70 mintues.
• Remove the terrine from the water bath and allow it to cool to an internal temperature of 100*F. Let the terrine rest under refrigeration overnight. The terrine is now ready to slice and serve, or wrap and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

Anti-pasti

Antipasti can refer to:
in Italian cuisine, a starter course similar to Hors d'œuvre (italian plural of antipasto)
a British band named Anti-Pasti

This is a typical antipasti platter, cosisting of cured meat. The marinated olives compliment the display.
It was a typical busy at our restaurant, a regular guest to our restaurant had bought in some of his collegues and wanted a cold cut platter, to compliment the wine. I was called in by my chef and had a quick rundown of the situation and he wanted it to be instant, as there was no time to waste. I had to rush to the walk-in fridge to check the cured meats. I assembled all the cured meats, sliced it had the olives marinated and had some grilled vegetables with crositni redy and this was the end result.