Whether you call them small bites, hors d’oeuvres, amuses-bouches or just plain tempting, these dainty bites of deliciousness will have mouths watering and undoubtedly fill many platters this holiday season. In an effort to inspire something a bit more creative than cocktail weenies in barbecue sauce (not that there’s anything wrong with them), we reached out to Margaret Doran, owner of Margaux’s Table—your pick for Best Caterer in our inaugural Best of White Bear Lake awards—for some recipes and presentation tips for oh-so-sumptuous petite holiday party fare.
LOBSTER SALAD CANAPÉS
Makes 30-36
INGREDIENTS
2 cups lobster meat (tail, claws)
2 seedless cucumbers, cut into ¼” slices
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 to 3 tsp. fresh lime juice
1½ tsp. minced fresh jalapeño (including seeds)
¼ tsp. salt
⅓ cup peeled mango, finely diced
½ cup celery, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
TO MAKE:
Whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, jalapeño, salt and a pinch of pepper. Add lobster, mango, celery, onion and cilantro to dressing and toss well. Top each cucumber slice with 1 rounded tsp. of the lobster mixture.
Margaret’s Tasty Tidbit
Garnish with thinly sliced cilantro for a little extra pizzazz.
GRILLED, SPICED BEEF TENDERLOIN PÂTE Â CHOUX SANDWICHES
Makes 30-36, depending on size
CHOUX PASTE
INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
14 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt
1½ tsp. sugar
2½ cups flour, sifted
8 eggs
TO MAKE:
In a saucepan set over high heat, add the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar, and boil for 1 minute, stirring with a heat-resistant spatula. Take the pan off the heat and, stirring constantly, quickly add the sifted flour.
“Drying out” is vitally important if you want to make good choux paste. When the mixture is very smooth, place the pan over the heat and stir with the spatula until you see some of the dough leaving a slight coating on the bottom of the pan (about 2–3 minutes). Let cool for about 5 minutes and beat in the eggs one at a time, using a spatula. Stir well until smooth.
Pipe dough onto sheet pan lined with parchment paper in walnut-sized dollops. Brush with egg wash. Bake in a 375-degree oven until golden brown, approximately 20–25 minutes. Cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator or freeze.
Margaret’s Tasty Tidbit
Don’t overbeat with a mixer; it makes the dough break and can result in a flat, uninteresting pastry.
BRESAOLA SPICE RUB FOR BEEF
INGREDIENTS:
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
10 Tbsp. black pepper, freshly ground
5 tsp. thyme
5 tsp. ginger
5 tsp. allspice
5 tsp. mace
5 tsp. coriander
2½ tsp. cloves
5 tsp. cardamom seeds, shells removed
5 tsp. salt
Margaret’s Tasty Tidbit
Grind the seed in a peppermill for best flavor; the extra can be stored in a jar for later use.
WHOLE TRIMMED BEEF TENDERLOIN
Rub beef with the spice mixture. Wrap and place beef in refrigerator overnight to let spices flavor the meat. Grill over natural wood charcoal to desired temperature. Let stand at least 10 minutes before slicing.
TO ASSEMBLE:
Cut each choux puff like a hamburger bun and spread with mayonnaise. Top with a slice of beef. Cut the slices large enough to hang over the side of each puff.
Margaret’s Tasty Tidbit
Garnish each puff with watercress, pea shoots or micro greens, and a slice of cherry tomato.
CRAB AND CORN BEIGNETS
Makes 3 dozen
INGREDIENTS
BATTER
1 small red bell pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
⅓ cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ lb. cooked crabmeat
½ cup fresh corn kernels
1 scallion, minced
Grapeseed oil for frying
SAUCE
½ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
TO MAKE:
Char the red pepper directly over a gas flame until blackened and blistered on all sides. Cool. Remove and discard the skin, stem and seeds, and dice the pepper.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper. Stir in the milk and egg. Fold in the crabmeat, corn, scallion and diced red pepper. Let the beignet batter rest for about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, blend the mayonnaise (homemade is best) with the basil, cilantro, lemon juice and mustard, and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet. In a large skillet, heat 1½ inches of oil to 375 degrees. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter into the hot oil and fry until golden, about 1 minute per side. Cook the beignets without crowding the pan. Drain on the rack and keep warm in the oven while you fry the rest.
Margaret’s Tasty Tidbit
Arrange on a pretty platter and serve with herbed mayonnaise.
LEMON CURD AND FRENCH MERINGUE BITES
Makes approximately 3 dozen
INGREDIENTS
9 egg yolks
1 cup lemon juice
¾ lb. unsalted butter (3 sticks), melted
3 cups sugar
6 Tbsp. lemon zest
Put all ingredients in a bowl over a bain-marie (double boiler) and cook until very thick. Whisk occasionally until mixture is the consistency of pudding; the mixture will thicken more when cooled. Place in refrigerator until completely cool for use later.
FRENCH MERINGUE
INGREDIENTS
1 cup egg whites
1 cup sugar
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
TO MAKE
Beat egg whites until soft. Beat in sugar for 10 minutes. Gradually, gently fold in confectioner’s sugar; don’t overwork it.
Pipe or spoon mixture onto sheet pan lined with parchment paper in 2-inch circles, with small indentation in the middle for the lemon curd.
Bake at 200 degrees for approximately one hour. If meringues are slightly soft when removed from the oven, they will harden when cooled. Store in airtight containers.
TO ASSEMBLE
Pipe or spoon a small amount of lemon curd into center of each meringue; don’t fill more than an hour before serving, as lemon curd will soften the meringue.
Margaret’s Tasty Tidbit
Garnish with mint leaf and a fresh raspberry just before serving.
To contact Margaret Doran about catering your next event, call Margaux's Table at 651.387.7903.
