Appetizers or hors d’oeuvre represent the first course served at an event, before the main course. They have to be tasty, and presented in small portions, to leave guests hungry for more.

Appetizers are very different, depending on many factors, such as the cuisine where they can be included, the chef that has prepared them, the season when the wedding is organized, the location of the wedding, and many others.

A traditional American restaurant could serve as appetizers for a wedding these next courses: rock shrimp with calamari, mango chutney and bouchot mussels, ancho chilies with lime, guacamole with tamarind chutney and papadum, chickpea with ‘boodie’s’ ketchup, and semolina polenta with coconut milk.

An African restaurant, on the other hand, is specialized more on dishes that contain raw vegetables and fruits, such as those mentioned next: hommus bi tahini (that contains purée of chickpeas, lemon and garlic), spicy hommus, Kashkawan cheese, Shankleesh (a variety of aged cheese, mixed with onions and tomatoes), Muhammara (this is literally spicy red pepper combined with walnuts), balila (chickpeas combined with lemon, garlic and olive oil), batinjan makdous (eggplant stuffed with walnuts and garlic), and marinated quails with a special blend of seasoning and grilled meat.

Appetizers For Wedding Reception (Photo by: Sakena)

Asian dishes have always attracted everybody's attention, not necessarily because they are very tasty, but because they are unusual. So for an unusual wedding, we recommend an Asian start, that contains only cold appetizers. Dishes like the tuna tartare spring roll with crispy shallot and ponzu, or the crispy calamari salad with cashews, green apples and miso vinaigrette will certainly amaze wedding guests, just like a Peking duck salad with poached eggs and sherry vinaigrette or like a deviled tuna tartare, with scallions and chili mayonnaise. Nevertheless, those who prefer hot appetizers, will be glad to find out that Asians have dishes like this too. And the best examples that can be used at a wedding are: boneless spare ribs with Chinese mustard, steamed sea bass roll with ginger, sizzling scallion oil and cabbage, and wok fried oysters and foie gras with king soy and Thai basil.

Europeans serve plenty of dishes at the beginning of a wedding, letting the wedding guests decide upon one (or more) of the dishes presented there. Thus, in most cases, tables are covered with all sorts of dishes that can be selected by the wedding guests, dishes like: tagliatelle with spicy tomato clam broth, bibb and beets with pumpkin seeds and parmesan, gravy meatball sliders with pork, beef, veal and pecorino, endives with pears and foie gras nuggets, organic eggs and truffles, crispy calamari with lemon aioli and arugula combined with almonds and truffle vinaigrette.

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Written by Monica Elena Ionescu, date Oct 24, 2012 in Wedding Reception Menu | no comments

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