Skills - Post Secondary Cooking - Cold Appetizers

Day two group two cold appetizers containing cornish hen and mango.

confit cornish hen and bacon, thyme crouton, port apple,
pickled shallot, leek, fennel, asparagus parmesan pistou, mango puree

terrine of cornish hen and honey soused shitakes, essence of
tomato and riesling gelee, soft herb salad, tuile, mango puree

beet carpaccio, green asparagus, minced cornish hen, maple syrup, mango dressing

maple brine hen with spinach and ricotta roulade, roasted
shallot vinaigrette with mango, lemon creme fraiche

Cornish hen terrine, mango ribbons, celery, fennel, balsamic cracker, mango coulis

balsamic olive oil and mango dressing, tomato and mango chutney, thyme parmesan
sable, mushroom duxelle with cornish hen concasse, corniush hen slices, asparagus mousse, asparagus tips

terrine of cornish hen with walnuts and breast inlay,
 tomato and pesto jelly roll, basil, mango foam

puff pastry confited cornish hen and sweet potato, marinated tomato salad and
whipped florentine cream,duxelle of potbelly pigling under a roasted pepper sorbet. 

cold smked cornish hen salad on mango gastrique and parsley coulis topped with pickled fennel and a cheese crisp

Skills - Post Secondary Cooking Hot Appetizers

Hot appetizer creations from cook ng group two on day one. Required ingredients were Cornish hen and Anjou pear; and plates had to contain a fruit sauce and at least one garnish.

Cornish hen filled with spinach and herbs, sauteed spinach,
toasted almonds, shallots, olive oil poached tomato, orange
phyllo crisp, pear tarragon fluid gel, pear gastrique.

Smoked hen breast, pear tortellini, sunny side up egg,
beurre noisette with apples and pears, pressed pear discs.

Almond crusted ballontine of Cornish game hen, parsnip puree,
spiced apple chutney. haricot vert, Anjou pear hen gastrique.

Cornish hen ballontine stuffed with fruits, pear sauce, sauteed spinach.

Cornish hen stuffed with boudin blanc, cauliflower puree,
seared cauliflower, pear lemon sauce. 

Stuffed Cornish hen leg with herbs mousseline and pear port gastrique.

Roasted Cornish hen gallontine stuffed with pear
red pepper and thyme served on a bed of brown butter couscous,
 topped with fried leeks, and drizled with Anjou pear sauce.

Seared half breast of Cornish hen, gruyere and apple stuffed half leg,
quinoa chive crisp, pear and balsamic gastrique.

Please Amuse My Bouche

Amuse Bouche is a French term literally meaning to amuse the mouth. It refers to a small, bite-sized creative canape, appetizer, or morsel of food presented to diners in fine dining restaurants at the very beginning of a meal, often followed by numerous other courses. It is a way of getting diners excited about the meal, impressing them and adding a little wow factor, giving them the best quality food for their money, using up extra product in the kitchen, showcasing a chef's creativity, and trying out new ideas. It is sometimes surprising how much flavor can be built in one forkful of food.

Jellied Asparagus Terrine, Crispy Bacon Curl, Saffron Aioli, Edible Flowers

Brussels Sprouts Three Ways: candied Brussels sprouts,
Brussels sprout chip, black garlic and Brussels sprout
aioli, pickled cranberries, spiced toasted almonds.

Miniature Apple Pie - shortbread crust, poached
cinnamon apple compote, candied pecans, microgreen

Herbed Goat Cheese on toasted Baguette with candied apple twist and prosciutto

Homemade Puff Pastry with Blue Cheese Filling,
Pumpkin Jam, Toasted Pecan, and Parsley

Salmon and Cream Cheese Crepe with Cucumber Spaghetti and Spiced Mayo

Sample of Hors D'oeuvres

Arancini - breaded and deep-fried risotto balls

Bacon-Wrapped Scallop

Phyllo-Wrapped Asparagus

Pork belly Slider on a Breaded Fried Pickle with Slaw and Spiced Apple

Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers with asparagus and mushrooms

Cracker with Lobster Cream Cheese and Crispy Dill

Stuffed Baked Mushrooms with parmesan, garlic, and panko

Crabcakes with tomato and goat cheese

Seared Scallops on Dill Aioli

Capreses Salad Sticks - balsamic marinated mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, and oliv oil

Spanokopita cones with spinach feta filling and cucumber and tomato

Smoked Salmon Crepe with Dill Creme Fraiche

Crustini with Basil Goat Cheese and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Crustini with Blueberry Cream Cheese and Caramelized Onion Compote

Smoked Salmon and Dill in Parmesan Crisp

Deviled Eggs

Duck Confit Roulade

Trio of Fennel Pollen Dusted Salmon

Poached Salmon Fillet with Fennel Pollen Butter, Fennel Pollen and Salmon Mousse, Crispy Fennel-Scented Salmon Croquette, Caramelized Onion Compote.

Here is the hot appetizer I made for my black box exam. I used salmon and fennel pollen in all three main components of this trio. I had never really heard of, let alone worked with or tasted, fennel pollen before. Upon research, I could not nail down a major flavor profile for it, but I knew it is one of those expensive ingredients that should be used sparingly.
First Salmon Component: I butter-poached the salmon in butter flavored with fennel pollen.
Second Salmon Component: A salmon mousse flavored with salmon pollen, lemon, and dill.
Third Salmon Component: A fried salmon cornmeal croquette sprinkled with fennel pollen salt.
Accompaniments: caramelized onion compote, and pickled celery allumette. 

Bar Clam Tartare

This is the cold appetizer I made for my black box exam. An ingredient I received was a one-pound package of frozen thawed bar clams. Clams are tricky - you either have to cook them very briefly to avoid them from becoming chewy, or long and slow. I didn't have time to do long and slow, and I had never worked with bar clams before. So I decided to play it safe and serve them as a bar clam tartare.

To do this, I diced up the bar clams, removing the long feet. I mixed them with some diced red pepper and chopped chives. I flavored this mixture with some lime juice, sesame oil, salt, and pepper, and allowed it all to marinade.
I also made a quick avocado puree for the base of the tartare. 

To serve the tartare, I first placed a cut-out of mango gelee I had made on the plate. Then I spooned avocado puree into a ring mold on top of that, and pressed the tartare mixture on top of that, then removed the ring mold. I topped it with a sesame puff pastry cornet to add some crunch, and added orange curd as the sauce around the base. 

Brussels Three Ways

This is an amuse bouche I came up with the other day. The components are: Candied brussels sprouts, Brussels sprout chips, Black garlic and brussels sprout aioli, Pickled cranberries, and Spiced toasted almonds. 

Candied Brussels Sprouts: Make a maple syrup and balsamic vinegar reduction, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and add Brussels sprout halves. Chill and drain.
Brussels Sprout Chips: Peel off individual Brussels sprouts petals and deep-fry until crisp. Season with salt.
Black Garlic and Brussels Sprout Aioli: Make a basic aioli, add black garlic puree to color, add julienned Brussels sprout leaves. Season to taste.
Pickled Cranberries: Make a basic pickling liquor using one part white wine vinegar, one part granulated sugar, to two parts water. Add a dash of kosher salt. Bring to a boil, add cranberries. Cool and strain.
Spiced Toasted Almonds: Toast almond slivers and spice with cayenne and chili powder.

Sweet Potato Custard

Sweet Potato Coconut Custard + Cranberry Hazelnut Granola + Maple Syrup Reduction + Melon Pearls + Pickled Chutney + Microgreens

Sweet Potato Coconut Custard
450 grams sweet potato, baked with skin on until tender, then peeled and puréed
400mL canned coconut milk
2-4 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons agar agar

Whisk the warm sweet potato purée and milk together in a small saucepan. Whisk in the syrup and agar agar. Bring to a boil over gentle heat, stirring often. Allow to boil for a minute or two until slightly thickened. Pour into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (size depends upon how thick or thin you would like your custard to be). Chill until set, in the freezer if you would like it to set faster. Cut into desired shapes while still firm, and allow to soften and come to room temperature to serve. Can be stored refrigerated or frozen.

Gouda Panna Cotta Plate

The other day I came up with this cold appetizer for service. It consists of: 

• Gouda Panna Cotta
• Parmesan Hazelnut Crustini
• Blue Cheese Aioli
• Poached Pears
• Berry Coulis
• Dandelion Greens
• Chocolate Balsamic Hazelnut Dressing
• Toasted Hazelnut Crumb

I called it 'Hazelnut Cheese Trio'. 
The panna cotta was a leftover I was using up, so sadly I do not have a recipe. I also found the poached pears and coulis, found some dandelion greens, and made crumble and crustini, and a dressing to bump it up.

Thanksgiving Dinner Canapés

Thanksgiving Dinner Canapés
caramelized red onion biscuits
butternut squash purée (or alternately sweet potato purée)
cranberry chutney/sauce (chunky, whole berry, not jelly and preferably homemade)
pickles

I baked my own vegan biscuits, adding in caramelized red onions to the dough for more flavor. I put my purée in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and piped a swirl onto each biscuit. Then I topped with a dollop of cranberry chutney, and cut my pickles into little half-moon shapes for a garnish.

I think this canapé is quite colorful and something different - more rustic ingredients presented in an elegant way. They were very much appreciated. The flavors balanced very well together - the purée and onions were sweet, the biscuit and pickle salty, the chutney tart, and the pickle acidic. Someone told me the pickle absolutely makes the canapé. I got inspiration for this hors d'oeuvre from Thanksgiving dinner ingredients.

Basil Mozza Bites

Spiced pine nut brittle + basil cashew butter + vegan cheese + balsamic caviar pearls = awesome vegan hors d'oeuvre. 

To make this hors d'oeuvre, I first caramelized some sugar, then added toasted pine nuts and some spices and hot sauce to cut the sweetness. I let this harden into brittle and broke it into small, irregular pieces. I topped it with a 'buttery' spread I made from pulsing cashews into cream and adding fresh basil and seasonings. I spread some vegan mozzarella cheese on top. This was my first time making vegan mozzarella cheese and I must say, I really like it. Some vegan cheeses are good, some not so good, some are good but aren't very 'cheesy'. This one was very close to fresh mozzarella; composed of coconut milk, flavored mozzarella with coconut vinegar, and thickened with tapioca and xanthan gum. I then topped with one of my favorite molecular gastronomy tricks - one I have used before and could eat like candy - balsamic 'caviar' pearls.