This really could not be an easier, or more impressive hors d'oeuvre. The most finicking part--cutting the raw tuna into small dice--is made exponentially simpler when you put the tuna in the freezer until it is firm but not totally frozen. It is SO much easier to cut this way. Some spicy, finely diced jalapeño, sweet red bell pepper, salty soy sauce, the nutty crunch of toasted sesame seeds all anchored by cool, crispy cucumber. A single bite of perfection.
Recipe:
8 ounces sushi grade tuna
1/2 medium red bell pepper
1/2 jalapeño pepper
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 English cucumber
1. Pop tuna into the freezer until it is firm, short of being frozen stiff (20 minutes or so should be plenty.) Slice into small dice-as small as you can go without turning it into hamburger meat. Place in a small bowl.
2. Dice red pepper and jalapeño into the same sized dice as the tuna and add them to the bowl. Add sesame seeds and soy sauce and toss gently but efficiently so that everything is well mixed.
3. Slice cucumber into rounds (a mandoline or even a cheap slicer is excellent for this) thinly, but not too thinly. 1/8 inch thick is perfect.
4. Top each round with a small spoonful of tuna.
Makes about 48 hors d'oeuvres
This is a delicious twist on the comfort food classic. Plump bits of lobster claw and knuckle meat add the perfect touch of luxury for a special evening. It is also a wonderful meal to do ahead. The pot pies can be assembled and then refrigerated for up to a day before adding the puff pastry crust and cooking. Also, there are many aspects of this recipe than can be purchased ready-made. On Christmas Eve, I am definitely going to let someone else handle the lobster shelling, pearl onion peeling, and puff pastry rolling--I have gifts to wrap!
Recipe:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk fresh, green celery, chopped
2 carrots (or 8 baby carrots), neatly chopped
6 ounces small button mushrooms, halved or quartered
2 ounces smoky, thick cut bacon, diced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
7 ounces lobster meat (the Cozy Harbor brand, in the frozen fish section, is very good quality)
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 ounces clam juice
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
16 frozen pearl onions
salt and pepper to taste
1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
egg wash (egg yolk whisked with water and salt)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in the middle of the oven.
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until it begins to render its fat. Add carrots, onion and celery and reduce heat, cooking until mirepoix (the fancy name for the combination of carrot, celery and onion) begins to soften. Add button mushrooms and continue to cook until they are golden and vegetables are beginning to brown lightly.
2. Sift flour over the vegetables and stir briskly to coat everything--it will look a bit grimy, but never fear. Add wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up all the lovely browned bits. Add clam juice, heavy cream, whole milk, thyme and tomato paste, stirring well. Cook until the liquid has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and add lobster and pearl onions. The base may be cooled and refrigerated at this point, covered, for 24 hours.
3. Gently roll out puff pastry--do not press too hard, you will flatten out all those lovely pastry layers! Trace the outline of your serving bowls (I like to use my café au lait bowls, they hold about 12 ounces), adding 1/4 inch to outline--puff pastry shrinks as it cooks. There will be enough to cut four tops and plenty left over to cut decorations.
4. Spoon lobster base into bowls--this recipe makes 4 12-ounce portions, and gently drape with puff pastry tops. Brush each with egg wash and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until puff pastry is well-raised and nicely browned. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving. Remind your guests that the bowls are HOT!
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