Spoil Your Guests with Indulgent Appetizers

The best part is that they don’t take hours to make—your surprised family just might start calling you “chef!”

1Tartare

Always a welcome addition to a table of hors-d’oeuvres, tartare can be the star attraction of your summer season.

Chef's Secret

Sauces, spice mixes and herbs can be prepared the day before your event. But wait until the last moment to mince your meat or fish and mix together all your ingredients.

Perfect pairings

Adding pomegranate and avocado will enhance the flavour of white fish tartare. The bright colours will reflect your summer festivities! Fruits like Japanese pears and green apples are great additions to a salmon tartare. Try spicing up a bison tartare with some Espelette pepper, or get a rich texture and flavour by topping a beef tartare with foie gras or wild game pâté.

The perfect presentation

Bring out the gorgeous colours of your tartare by serving it on a black or dark slate plate.

See the recipe for Bison Tartare on Beer Crostini

2Mousse and pâté

When you serve mousse and pâté at the table, your guests will quickly gather around for a light and enticing appetizer.

Chef’s secret

Mousse features a rich yet airy texture and flavour, but for a real showstopper, dollop a fluffy cloud of unsweetened whipped cream on top.

Perfect pairings

Seafood is best with subtle flavours, so go for fresh herbs instead of dried spices. Chives, dill and marjoram are always excellent options with shrimp mousse. Or try smoked paprika and salmon caviar. Some daring combinations with smoked salmon mousse include capers, peppers, spinach, caviar and wasabi or sriracha sauce. Balance fatty fish with the freshness of citrus juice.

The perfect presentation

Serving your seafood mousse on bright green lettuce leaves will make its rosy hues really pop! Transform it into a real delicacy by adding zucchini spears or shortbread to your arrangement—their delicate flavour won’t overpower your mousse.

See the recipe for Salmon Mousse.

3Verrine

The elegant glass presentation of a verrine makes it easy to transform a classic into a modern masterpiece.

Chef’s secret

The layers of a verrine may mix together when left sitting for a long time. Avoid this by placing the densest ingredients on the bottom and layering the lighter ones on top.

Perfect pairings

For a gourmet bite, scoop a little tomato sauce into the bottom of a glass and toss in a few delicious tortellini. Want to get extravagant? A trout and pink grapefruit ceviche will make a chic statement. You can finish off a great meal with an elegant apple crumble verrine.

The perfect presentation

It’s always easier to use wide glasses with larger openings. You’ll need a piping bag to fill tall and thin glasses. Go for a detail that will really impress and add a garnish of edible flowers!

See the recipe for Spicy Apple Crumble Verrine

4 Rillette

Get indulgent and creative with rillettes—the rich and decadent cousin of mousse.

Chef’s secret

Unlike airy mousse, rillette is denser and fattier and usually contains pieces of meat. From duck or goose to pork or wild boar, there are plenty of rustic options to choose from. To ensure an outstanding flavour, avoid using a low quality stock or broth for your rillettes.

Perfect pairings

Thyme, rosemary and bay leaves are a great way to enhance the robust flavour of rillettes. Go for dried fruit, cranberries, apricots, pistachios, nuts, pickles and mustards infused with truffles or pink peppercorns—we told you it was decadent!

The perfect presentation

Serve a trio of rillettes on a wooden board along with pickled onions, marinated vegetables, pickles and chutneys. Your guests will swoon over the choices and combinations!

See the recipe for Duck Rillettes