Party Finger Food

Mr E

I'm having a small party in a fortnight, and I want to cook some bits for it myself. Its not a dinner party, its more casual than that (drink, finger food etc.). There will probably be 10-12 at the party.

So I'm looking for suggestions!

Some things I'm already thinking of are:

1. Homemade Brown Bread with different toppings. Salmon.... any other suggestions? I'll make the bread myself.

2. Garlic Bread (I'll buy french/vienna, and I'll make the garlic/herb glaze myself)

3. Mini Pizzas (I'll make dough, and figure out a mixture of toppings).


Any other quick and easy suggestions?

Also, I'm kind of stuck for ideas with regard to dessert afterwards.... has to be finger food ideally, but biscuits/muffins are a bit boring....

Thanks in advance!

admiralofthefleet

why not try mushrooms in a cajun batter, mini spring rolls, mini vol au vents with chicken curry filling.

noby

Deep fried vgetables, like a pakora, or tempura, with a couple of dips. Although you might not want to be tied to a frier during the party.
Goujons is another. You could do them in the oven.

xxdilemmaxx

Had a party myself last weekend and had a big platter out of little pieces brown bread with salmon and a spoon of cottage cheese on top. Make these look fancy by sprinkling some black pepper on then and maybe some dill and a few lemon wedges. Also had brown bread and pate. Instead of the garlic bread why not try bruschetta, dead easy and goes down a treat... Spicy chicken skewers (again dead easy) with a raita dip too are nice. Also bought a fancy big green serving plate and had a selection of cheeses, grapes and some cherries along with crackers which looked impressive!

Mr E

Lots of great suggestions there guys... thanks alot!

Bruschetta and chicken skewers are a great idea too.... I googled Raita though, doesn't sound like my cup of tea.

CJhaughey

Boil corn on the cob and break each cob into 1 inch long segments.
Finely sliced salamis on crackers.
Paté on thin toast.

xxdilemmaxx

Oooh you have to taste raita - garlicy yumminess

xxdilemmaxx

Well I put garlic in mine anyway.....

car39

get ready made puff pastry cut into small squares and bake.then fry some red onion till its carmalised ,put this onto top of the baked pastry and put some goats cheese on top and bake for further few minutes.

olaola

Potato tortillas - they cut up well and are easily handled.

Make a kind of 'melba toast' - buy cutting 'raw' discs of baguettes and baking them. Then make a spicy salsa - plop it on top of a disc of bread with a blodge of sour cream.

Salmon rolls - mix up cream cheese, dill, lemon and seasoning - roll it up in strips of smoked samon and cut into smaller rolls. Kinda like a roulade.

Spread some Boursin on french bread and put a slice of Chorizo on top.
(this is VERY popular!)

Toast some cut french bread - put a layer of rocket, slice of mozzerella and nice tomato. Drizzle over lemon+olive oil+pesto mixed.

Make small flafel and serve with taziki in mini pittas

oblivious

Chilli and some home made potatoes wedges go down nicely and are easy to prepare.

chuckles30

On the dessert front, I'm not sure if you want to buy something or make something. If you just want to buy, Dunnes Stores do some little mini swiss rolls in their frozen food section that you only have to defrost. They'd be an ideal size for finger food.

Alternatively if you want to do it yourself, how about something like carrot cake that you can cut up into small slices? Or I made a lovely banana cake recently that could be nice too. Cheesecake or apple tart would also go down well, but would require at least a fork to eat them whereas the cake options can just be picked up. Actually just thinking now as I'm typing - a nice fresh cream sponge could go down well too and could be eaten as finger food.

Mr E

Thanks Chuckles.... after reading that, I'm now bloody starving!

Minder

Rice paper rolls.

These are fresh spring rolls (not cooked) and can be stuffed with prawn, crab, chicken, duck. Very easy to make and can be kept in the fridge until needed. The rice paper sheets may be a little difficult to buy - chinese supermarkets are not that common, but Wing Yip have an online store and ship worldwide. There are a few chinese shops mentioned here.

The filling for the rolls is usually a mixture of shredded meat (chicken) or prawn, some bean shoots and scallions. The rice papers are dipped in hot water for a minute to soften, then filled and rolled up. Keep in the fridge with a damp cloth or kitchen paper over the top to prevent drying out. Serve with a sweet chili dipping sauce or soy with wasabi.

Chicken nuggets

Sliced chicken breast, raw egg to bind and breadcrumbs. Then deep fry. Panko breadcrumbs are best if you can get them. Serve with spicy ketchup or more sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Buffalo wings - Thread here

Tortillas with dips - the crisp packet variety. Empty a bag onto an oven tray, grate over some chedder and cook in the oven until cheese melts - 6 to 8 minutes. Serve with sour cream and spicy salsa.

Watermelon with vodka - Saw this on Jamie Oliver ages ago. Puncture a large watermelon with a funnel, take out the little plug from the funnel and fill the funnel with vodka. Probably best to sit the watermelon on a towel to stop it rolling around. The vodka takes days to be absorbed. Top it up occassionally with more vodka. Chill before carving the watermelon and serve as wedges with plenty of kitchen paper.

Rick Stein has a recipe for a type of pizza made from puff pastry, roast tomatoes, blue vinny (cheese) and rocket. The tomatoes can be oven roasted days before. They are cooked at a low heat for several hours to dry out and concentrate the flavour. I could never find blue vinny cheese but have used gorgonzola as a substitute. If you are interested in this I can dig out the recipe and post.

xxdilemmaxx

Minder - I'd like to see that Rick stein recipe if you could get it?? Thanks

Minder

xxdilemmaxx wrote:

Minder - I'd like to see that Rick stein recipe if you could get it?? Thanks

Sure - will post it tonight.

Minder

Rick Steins recipe from Food Heros Vol 1

750g tomatoes
450g puff pastry
100g blue vinny
thyme leaves
rocket to scatter on top
seasoning

Heat oven to highest temp
Half tomatoes and place cut-side up on tray
Season
Roast - 15 mins
Lower temp to 150 c and roast for 1 & half hours
Remove & cool

Increase temp to 200 c
Roll puff pastry to 5mm thick and place on tray
Prick with fork
Bake for 18-20 mins
Turn over and bake for 5 mins more

Arrange tomatoes on top - leaving small border
Crumble over blue vinny cheese
(RS suggests percorino or feta, I have used gorgonzola)
Sprinkle on thyme leaves
Season with pepper and drizzle with olive oil
Bake for 5-6 mins

Remove from oven and scatter with rocket
Cut into 8 pieces
Drizzle with olive oil
Serve

Good luck

nervous_twitch

Filled Potato Skins (tomato, onion, pepper, cheese etc), Cold vegetable spring rolls, I second the Boursin idea - perhaps even a cheese platter, with crackers, and the old reliable pineapple and cheese cocktail sticks

I am in a position where I cant eat right now, and after reading this thread I am so damn hungry!

The Sweeper

TmB, I'd go for tapas ideas - but the easier/quicker options from that potentially complex range, so I'd build a cured meats board (parma ham, cured salamis and pepperonis, serrano ham etc), strong hard cheeses, fresh bread, olives, caperberries, anchovies (the fresh, marinaded kind, not the salt n oil variety). Lay out some pickles - gherkins, onions.

Provide cocktail sticks and napkins - anything that involves a plate and a fork, to me, is a step too far if it's finger food you're after. Best kind of finger food is if you aim to have a selection of things people can stab with a cocktail stick and shove in their gobs.

Plus remember the American beer nuts tactic - salty foods make people thirsty. Thirsty people drink more beer. Beery people make more party.

Minder

Dukkah - A spicy nut and seed mixture that is used as a dip with flat bread & olive oil.

50g seasme seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt & black pepper
80g toasted almonds

Combine all whole seeds & nuts in a pan and dry roast for 5 mins. Allow to cool. Bash the mixture in a pestle & mortar or pulse in a food processor until coarse. Serve with good olive oil & warm pitta. Dip bread in oil then the dukkah.

Mr Magnolia

Humus is a great addition to an array of finger food.

Deediddums

Another really easy and absolutely delicious option is as follows:

Buy a wheel of brie (or as much as you can get) put in a round baking tray cover with a jar of mango chutney and bake. Once the cheese is nicely ,melted and bubbly it's ready top serve. Put it out with tons of melba toast and people can dig in and help themselves.

tSubh Dearg

For a dessert how about brandy snaps with cream?

I can't find my recipe for them at the moment (it's on one of a million pieces of paper floating around in a cupboard) but they are delicious as well as light.