Celebrate new year with a plate of appetizers

Bloody Mary Oysters
There are plenty of options for a New Year’s Eve party.
You can hold an elegant sit-down dinner or a relaxing game night complete with casual fare. You can host a sports-themed event to reflect the bowl games, incorporating the team colors and foods ideal for a tailgate party.
A party built around appetizers can look amazingly complex, offer a variety of foods for every appetite and be simple to prepare.
Individual servings of a traditional food, such as macaroni and cheese, glammed up with more luxurious ingredients like lobster, give the impression of the host slaving over the stove for hours.
Or make a platter or two of delicious stuffed pastries with prepared puff pastry. This technique can be used to turn everyday ingredients into something special.
You can opt to go healthy if you desire. Make your own chips by slicing unpeeled Yukon gold or red potatoes into thin rounds, then tossing them with extra virgin olive oil and salt to coat evenly. Coat a large microwave-proof plate with cooking spray and arrange some potato slices in a single layer on the plate.
Microwave them, uncovered, on high for a couple minutes, until some slices start to brown. Turn the slices over and continue microwaving until they start to crisp and brown around the edges. Check them frequently and rearrange slices as needed to prevent scorching. Transfer the chips to another plate and allow to cool completely. They will crisp more as they cool. Repeat with the remaining potato slices.
Or make some herbed olives by combining three cups of your favorite olives with two teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/8 teaspoon dried basil, one crushed clove of garlic and as much freshly ground pepper as you desire.
Try some sweet yet salty spiced pecans. Spread a pound of pecan halves on a large baking sheet and roast them in a 350-degree oven for about 12 minutes, taking care they don’t burn. While they’re roasting, combine one tablespoon packed dark brown sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, one teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, one teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Place the roasted pecans in a bowl and drizzle with two tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the nuts and toss to coat them.
And don’t forget a bit of sweetness to round off all the savory flavors. Homemade truffles, small ice cream sandwiches made with your favorite flavors of cookies and ice cream or a liquor-infused treat are possibilities.
Following are some holiday appetizer recipes from www.foodnetwork.com.
Champagne-Battered Fried Chicken Bites
Vegetable oil, for frying
1-1/2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons drained prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2-ounces caviar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup rice flour
1-1/2 cups chilled champagne or dry sparkling wine
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast and/or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
Pour two inches of oil in a large Dutch oven and heat to 360 degrees.
Stir sour cream, horseradish, lemon zest and juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a generous grinding of black pepper in a small bowl. Add one ounce caviar and chives and stir just to combine, Taking care not to overmix. Refrigerate.
Combine flour, cornstarch, rice flour and one teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Whisk in champagne to make a smooth batter.
Season chicken pieces with one teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Working in batches, dip about half of the chicken in the batter, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Add to hot oil and fry four to five minutes, turning as needed, until deep golden and crisp. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet fitted with a cooling rack and season lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken and batter, letting the oil return to temperature between batches.
To serve, garnish dip with the remaining caviar and some more chives. Serve fried chicken hot or warm with the dip.
Grilled Beef Tenderloin on Focaccia Toasts
2 pounds cherry tomatoes
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 heads garlic
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 lemon, juiced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons hot chili paste
1 6-to-8 pound whole beef tenderloin
2 loaves focaccia bread, sliced and toasted
Baby arugula, for garnish
Place tomatoes in a roasting pan, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes, until tomatoes have collapsed. Let cool.
Drizzle garlic with olive oil, wrap in foil and bake 30 minutes, until soft. When cool enough to handle, squeeze soft garlic onto a cutting board. Strip the needles from the rosemary, add to the garlic and chop them together. Pour one cup olive oil into a small bowl and add the garlic and rosemary mixture and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside.
Char the outside of the pepper under the broiler or over a gas flame. Place it in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When cool enough to handle, peel, seed and chop, then put it into a blender with the mayonnaise and chili paste. Process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper; refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat grill. Remove meat from the refrigerator about 1/2 hour before you are going to grill it. Brush with some of the flavored olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill tenderloin eight to 10 minutes, turning frequently, until the meat is rare or medium rare. Let meat rest five minutes, brushing it with the flavored olive oil. Cut beef into thin slices.
Put some of the flavored mayonnaise onto a piece of focaccia toast. Top with a thin slice of the beef and some of the roasted tomatoes. Garnish with arugula leaves and serve.
Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts
2 8-ounce cans whole water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
14 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thirds
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine water chestnuts and soy sauce in a resealable plastic bag and marinate at room temperature 30 minutes, tossing and massaging the bag occasionally.
Wrap each water chestnut in a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Set a cooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet and arrange the water chestnuts on top. Bake in a 400-degree oven 30 minutes, until bacon is crisp.
Stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and 1/3 cup water.
Remove baking sheet and carefully lift the cooling rack off the baking sheet. Drain away any fat in the baking sheet and wipe dry. Line the baking sheet with foil coated with cooking spray.
Transfer water chestnuts to the bowl with the sauce, swirling to fully coat, then place on the baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, tossing every few minutes, until the sauce is reduced to a sticky glaze. Immediately transfer the bacon-wrapped water chestnuts to a warm serving platter. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.
Four-Flavor Ice Cube Tray Appetizers
All-purpose flour
2 frozen puff pastry sheets
3 1-inch long cornichons, halved length-wise
6 1-inch square pieces ham steak
1-1/2 ounces shredded gruyere cheese
18 mozzarella pearls
3 teaspoons pesto
18 slices sun-dried tomatoes
6 whole candied pecans
6 small red grapes, halved
6 1-inch square pieces brie cheese
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Zest of 1 medium lemon
6 extra-small cooked shrimp, tails removed
1 large egg, beaten
Lightly flour a work surface and roll out both puff pastry sheets into 12-inch squares. Lay half of one piece of pastry over a 12-compartment ice cube tray. The remaining half will hang off the tray. Gently use the back of your fingers or the handle of a wooden spoon to press dough into each compartment. Repeat with the remaining pastry and tray.
Fill each of six of the ice cube compartments in one same row with one piece of cornichon, one piece of ham and one tablespoon gruyere cheese. Fill each of the next six ice cube compartments in the row with three mozzarella pearls, 1/2 teaspoon pesto and two slices sun-dried tomatoes.
Fill each of the next six ice cube compartments in the same row with one candied pecan, two red grape halves, one piece brie and a pinch of black pepper.
Stir together the cream cheese, scallion, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir until completely combined. Fill each of the last six ice cube compartments with one shrimp and a spoonful of cream cheese mixture.
Brush edges of the puff pastry with the beaten egg, then fold the puff pastry over the tray so it completely covers the filling. Cut excess puff pastry from around the upper edges of the ice cube trays, then use your fingers to press the dough together so it is sealed. Put ice cube trays in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Use fingers to gently loosen the puff pastry from the ice cube trays, then flip out onto a cutting board. Use a knife to trim the edges of the dough to 1/4-inch-wide. Cut between each ice cube compartment to free them. Use a fork to crimp the edges of all the ice cube bites, making sure to keep the flavors separate.
Put the ice cube bites on a large parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping the flavors separate. Brush beaten egg on top of the pastry, then sprinkle with remaining gruyere cheese,. Lay a slice of sun-dried tomato on top of the pesto bites and sprinkle black pepper on the brie bites.
Bake in a 400-degree oven for 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet about halfway through, until bites are puffed and golden brown.
Cool five minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a serving platter. Top with the remaining lemon zest.
Bloody Mary Oysters
1/4 cup tomato juice
4 teaspoons horseradish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
Freshly ground pepper
Celery salt
2 dozen small oysters
Crushed ice
Small celery leaves
Stir together tomato juice, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and a pinch of celery salt in a bowl. Chill sauce until ready to serve.
Carefully shuck the oysters and arrange on a platter of crushed ice. Top each oyster with about 1/2 teaspoon sauce and a small celery leaf.
Spicy Sausage Balls
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
4 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
In a large bowl, combine sausage, cheddar, baking mix, garlic powder and salt and knead with your hands until a homogenous dough forms. This will take about five minutes.
Pinch off golf ball-size pieces of dough, roll them into balls and arrange them one inch apart on two parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake in a 375-degree oven 25 minutes, until sausage balls are golden brown and cooked through. Let cool five minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.
Store any leftover sausage balls refrigerated in an airtight container for as long as one week.
Steak Bites With Truffle Salt
2 1-inch-thick New York strip steaks
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 thyme sprigs
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Truffle salt, for sprinkling
Cut the steaks in half lengthwise and season with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side, turning, until browned. While cooking the last side, add butter, thyme and smashed garlic cloves to the pan. Once the butter melts, use it to baste the steaks.
Place steaks on a cutting board and rest five minutes.
Cut steaks crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick pieces, sprinkle with truffle salt and serve on skewers.
Fried Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives
1/4 cup flour
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, plus 3 sprigs
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper
1 9.5-ounce jar blue cheese–stuffed olives, drained and patted dry
Vegetable oil
Put flour in a shallow dish. Pour beaten egg into another shallow dish. Mix breadcrumbs with minced rosemary, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and a few grinds of pepper in a third dish.
Working in batches, coat olives first in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg, then dip in the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat. Set on a plate.
Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees. Fry rosemary sprigs in the hot oil five to 10 seconds, until crisp, remove with tongs and drain on paper towels. Add breaded olives to the oil in batches and fry one minutes, until golden, letting the oil temperature return to 375 degrees between batches.
Let olives cool five minutes before serving. Garnish with the fried rosemary.
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