Cold appetizers must be gastronomically correctly selected so they fit into the entire meal. With a little sense and imagination, appetizers can be prepared to satisfy every visual need and every taste.
Menus begin with cold appetizers
Menus usually begin with cold appetizers, so can yours. The goal of cold appetizers is to stimulate digestion and with their look, quality and good taste increase customer’s appetite. They must also be prepared quickly and engage the customer until the main dish arrives.
Cold appetizers are:
- light and tasteful
- never spicy
- attractively arranged
- harmonious in color and taste
- well cooled and nicely presented
Cold appetizers can be presented in many ways. Most restaurants exhibit them in a visible place so they attract customers.
Presentation
There are several ways to present appetizers:
Presentation table – contains most interesting ingredients used in preparation of different meals so that the customer can easily choose and order.
Buffet table – fixed or on wheels, bigger or smaller, it is set near the door or in the most visible spot. In this case customers help themselves or receive assistance from kitchen staff or waiter.
Appetizer cart – contains different appetizers offered to customers at their tables, with an option of sampling.
Types of cold appetizers
Cold appetizers can be prepared with meat, fish, crabs, eggs, vegetables and other ingredients. For more festive dinners, caviar, oysters, smoked salmon, lobster and other fine foods can be served.
- Fish and crabs cold appetizers are fish salad, shrimp co*cktail, octopus salad, smoked trout.
- Meat cold appetizers are different cold cuts, various roasted or half-roasted meats, meat pates, liver pates, meat salads.
- Fruit and vegetable cold appetizers are marinated vegetables, Waldorf salad, vegetables filled with different salads and cold stuffing, vegetables with various cold creams, vegetable and mushroom co*cktails, fruit salads, stuffed fruit, fruit co*cktails.
- Egg cold appetizers are boiled eggs, egg salad, eggs filled with crab meat or various vegetables, eggs with cold sauces, etc.
- Fine food cold appetizers are made with caviar, oysters, lobster, etc.
Size of cold appetizer serving is 120-150 g
Cold appetizers can be served in different ways: Viennese, French I, British I, II and Russian. Appetizers in a la carte restaurants are served in the size of 120-150 g.
They are served on a large plate so the customer gets a sense of richness. The also serving looks more presentable on a larger plate than on a smaller. Large utensils are used with the large plate.
Appetizers in small inns are half as small and are served on a dessert plate with dessert utensils.
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FAQs
Cold appetizers can be prepared with meat, fish, crabs, eggs, vegetables and other ingredients. For more festive dinners, caviar, oysters, smoked salmon, lobster and other fine foods can be served. Fish and crabs cold appetizers are fish salad, shrimp co*cktail, octopus salad, smoked trout.
How should an appetizer be served? ›
There are several ways to serve appetizers. They can be served hot or cold, in single portions or as a buffet and sometimes even placed on the dinner table in a platter as a part of the main meal. Informal receptions or co*cktail parties, they are served before the guests are seated.
What describes a cold appetizer? ›
It notes that hot appetizers are served at higher temperatures and often include soup-based dishes, breads, fried meats and other sizzling foods, while cold appetizers are served at lower temperatures and include fresh seafood, wraps, fruits and vegetables served with dips.
Why cold appetizer must be served at the first course in the menu? ›
Cold hors d'oeuvres should stimulate appetite, and therefore should always be served at the first course in the menu.
Which of the following is an example of cold hors d oeuvres? ›
A central part of the tradition of cold hors d'oeuvres includes canapés and endless varieties of finger foods including charcuterie, profiteroles, crudités, and skewered or spoon foods.
How is cold appetizers serve? ›
They are served on a large plate so the customer gets a sense of richness. The also serving looks more presentable on a larger plate than on a smaller. Large utensils are used with the large plate. Appetizers in small inns are half as small and are served on a dessert plate with dessert utensils.
What is the standard rule of serving appetizers? ›
Caterers often plan a minimum of 4 different choices for groups of 25-100 or more, adding an additional choice for each 25 people. A good rule of thumb for a dinner party, allow for 6 appetizers per person.
What is the basic rule in hors d'oeuvres? ›
Hors d'oeuvres are meant to be eaten in just one or a few bites; thus, they are prepared as individual portions that can be picked up with one hand. These “finger foods” are often served while guests are standing and socializing, such as during a reception before a sit-down dinner.
How should cold food be served? ›
Cold foods should be kept at 40 °F or colder.
- Keep cold foods refrigerated until serving time.
- If food is going to stay out on the buffet table longer than 2 hours, place plates of cold food on ice to retain the chill.
Create appealing displays.
- Use toothpicks and small plastic skewers to hold small complementary pieces of food together. ...
- For appetizers that need to be contained inside small dishes, like pasta salads and fruit salads, choose a non-conventional dish to serve them in. ...
- Remember to decorate the platters, as well.
General hors d'oeuvres include cold preparations such as salad, cold meat, and fish. Classical hors d'oeuvres include fruit juice and soft drinks, grapefruit, shellfish co*cktail, and so on. Typically smaller than a main dish, an hors d'oeuvre is often designed to be eaten by hand.
What type of appetizer is usually served chilled? ›
co*cktail appetizers are made of seafood or fruit, usually with a tart or tangy sauce. These appetizers are always served chilled, often on a bed of crushed ice.
What is the difference between a starter and an appetizer? ›
Appetizers and starters essentially mean the same thing. These are small amounts of food that are generally light and savory and are enjoyed as a light first course. They are meant to stimulate an appetite and get you ready for a meal.
How should appetizers be presented? ›
Place each appetizer on its own plate for an elegant look. Arrange all of the little dishes on a large serving platter in a circular pattern or a uniform pattern in which all of the plates are spaced the same amount of distance from each other.
What are the 5 guidelines in the selection of appetizers? ›
- Vary the number of selections based on the number of guests.
- Pick from multiple appetizer families.
- Complement the main course.
- Consider the aesthetics.
- Include at least one convenience item.
Interestingly, appetizers before a meal help manage hunger without causing a customer to feel too full. Since apps are often light and small, they don't get in the way of entrees. Plus, they ready guests for main courses by exciting the palate and preparing the stomach for more delicious food to come.
Where are appetizers usually served? ›
Appetizers are the first course served when seated at a table. An appetizer is meant to complement an entrée and is generally a small-portioned first course of a multi-course meal. Appetizers are meant to whet the appetite before the following courses.
