In need of the perfect appetizer for Christmas or New Year’s? You’ve bought your prime rib and the cookies are baking but you still want that special something to start your party off right. We’ve made it easy and put together some of our favorite holiday appetizer recipes for you: Brie 3 Ways and Cold Poached Salmon. They’re both easy to make, elegant, and totally delicious. Enjoy!
Brie Three Ways
Triple Berry Cranberry Brie
Small Brie (16-19 oz)
½ container of Savory Moment Triple Berry Cranberry Sauce – thawed
1. Unwrap cold brie. With sharp knife, cut top ¼ inch off brie and discard.
2. Place triple berry sauce in strainer to remove excess juice
3. Top brie with berry sauce and serve – can stay at room temperature for 3-4 hours
4. Serve with wedges of apples or pears, ginger snaps, lemon or sugar cookies
Hazelnut Frangelico Brie
Small Brie (16-19 oz)
½-3/4 cup lightly toasted chopped hazelnuts (pecans or almonds work well too)
½ cup packed brown sugar
2-4 tablespoons Frangelico or favorite flavored liquor
1. Unwrap cold brie
2. With sharp knife score the top of the brie with four crisscross cuts (only about ¼ inch deep)
3. Spread nuts over top of brie
4. Sprinkle brown sugar over nuts
5. Sprinkle Frangelico over brown sugar (best if most of the brown sugar is moist
6. Place brie on baking sheet and heat in 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until brown sugar is caramelizing and brie is beginning to get soft but not melted.
7. Serve with wedges of apples or pears, ginger snaps, lemon or sugar cookies
Wild Mushroom Baked Brie
Small Brie (16-19 oz)
Puff Pastry
8 oz of mixed mushrooms – sliced
1 tablespoon oil or butter
2 garlic cloves minced
2-3 tablespoons sherry wine
Salt and pepper
Egg (beaten with 1 tablespoon of water to brush pastry)
1. Sauté mushrooms until moisture is beginning to release. Add garlic and continue to sauté until moisture has evaporated.
2. Add sherry and continue to sauté to evaporate moisture (stop before mushrooms are completely dry)
3. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
4. Chill mushroom mixture
To assemble brie
1. Roll dough into 12 inch square
2. With sharp knife score the top of the brie with four crisscross cuts (only about ¼ inch deep)
3. Top brie with mushroom mixture but do not spread all the way to the edges
4. Place brie in the middle of the puff pastry.
5. Carefully bring the sides of the puff pastry up and fold out to form a flower on top of the brie
6. Brush brie with beaten egg
7. Freeze solid before baking
8. Place frozen brie on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil
9. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes until golden brown – remove from oven
10. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before removing brie from pan
11. Serve with crackers or sliced baguettes
Cold Poached Salmon
Ingredients
1 ½-2 pound salmon (no skin)
2 fresh lemons (one cut into wedges and one sliced in ¼ inch slices for decoration)
1 package fresh dill (fresh herbs in produce department)
½ cup dry white wine
Kosher salt
Pepper
Tools
Foil
Pastry bag and star tip for decorating
Baking sheet with edges
Large platter for serving
Garnish
Flavored Cream Cheese or Aoli
Red bell pepper
Lemon slices
Fresh dill or chives
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Tear off piece of foil 4 inches longer than the full length of the salmon.
3. Place salmon on foil leaving 2 inches at top and bottom.
4. Squeeze 2-3 wedges over salmon (remove any seeds that may have come out when squeezing)
5. Lightly salt salmon – pepper if desired
6. Place 2-3 sprigs of dill on salmon (if desired)
7. Pour ¼ – ½ cup of wine around salmon
8. Create a loose foil packet for the salmon – roll the long edges of the foil together and then roll up the ends
9. Carefully transfer salmon to baking sheet (may need to position salmon diagonally on the sheet to fit.
10. Bake on center rack of the oven for 15-25 minutes (time will vary for size and thickness of salmon)
11. After 15 minutes, check doneness of salmon by carefully unfolding foil in the center. If the fish has a white milky appearance and no pink spots it is done. If there are pink spots, return to oven and check again in five minutes.
12. When salmon is done – open foil to allow fish to cool. There will be some carry-over cooking time so if the salmon is already well done – open the foil and put the pan in the refrigerator to quickly cool.
13. Chill salmon in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. If refrigerating overnight, close foil to prevent drying out.
TO PRESENT SALMON
1. Remove any herbs and gently clean white film from fish by dabbing with paper towel.
2. Gently transfer salmon to serving platter.
3. If desired, pipe cream cheese around the edge of the salmon and down the middle. Decorate with fresh herbs, thin slices of lemons and red bell peppers
4. Serve with crackers or sliced baguettes
