By Chef Ryan Lynch of Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth
Are you sick and tired of the same old hors d’oeuvres on the table around the holidays? Do you need some new ideas to zip up the holidays so your family isn’t dreading coming over for the feast? If so, tis the season for holiday hors d’oeuvres and let Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth help you by sharing a few of our enjoyable tasty appetizers that are simple to make.
First, I would like to share with you our Atlantic Lump Crab Cakes with a lobster cream sauce served on a bed of spring mix tossed lightly in a lemon vinaigrette. These crab cakes are a step up from the rest and will leave you begging for more. The crab cakes are a simple combination of Atlantic Lump Crab, lobster, celery, onions, Tabasco, lemon juice, eggs and bread crumbs. Next, Rumaki is a delicious hors d’oeuvre that is uniquely different but extremely flavorful. Rumaki is a lightly floured chicken liver that is lightly sauteed, seasoned with Zehnder’s World Famous Chicken Seasoning and pepper, then wrapped in Applewood smoked bacon. Lastly, Mini Chicken in Phyllo is a mouth-watering hors d’oeuvre that can’t go wrong. Chicken in Phyllo consists of many layers of buttery Phyllo Dough, oven roasted chicken breasts, green onions, cream cheese, feta cheese, sesame oil, soy sauce and black pepper. Enjoy the following recipes so you and your family can enjoy these wonderful hors d’oeuvres as well.
Zehnder’s Atlantic Lump Crab Cakes:
1 lb. Lump Crabmeat
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup water
2/3 cup fine diced celery
1/3 cup fine diced onions
2 1/4 cups Japanese Bread Crumbs
1 shake Tabasco sauce
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 oz. Lobster Base
1 T Butter
1 T Olive Oil
1. Combine eggs, water, bread crumbs, Tabasco sauce, lemon juice and lobster base well.
2. Add crabmeat, celery and onions, mixing gently making sure to not break up the lumps of crabmeat.
3. Refrigerate
4. In a non-stick saute pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to pan when butter is melted.
5. Make a patty out of the crab cake mixture and put in pan and brown well on one side, flip over and finish browning on the other side.
6. Serve on a bed of salad greens tossed in lemon vinaigrette and top with lobster cream sauce.
Lemon Vinaigrette:
1 Bottle Lemon Juice
1 Pint White Vinegar
1 Quart Sugar
1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Let set for one hour before serving.
3. Refrigerate and use as needed.
Lobster Cream Sauce:
Half & Half – 1 quart
Lobster Base – 2 oz.
Tabasco Sauce – 2 shakes
Butter & Flour Roux – as needed
1. Heat Half & Half to 170F
2. Add Lobster Base and Tabasco Sauce
3. Return to 170F
4. Thicken with butter and flour roux, stirring constantly until temperature reaches 180F
5. Hold at 165F, minimum.
Zehnder’s Rumaki:
12 Chicken Livers
1 Cup Flour
12 Pieces Applewood Bacon
1 Tsp. Zehnder’s Chicken Seasoning (Click here to order online)
1/3 Tsp. White Pepper
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1. Toss chicken livers in flour, making sure to coat well, shaking off excess flour.
2. In a large saute pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat.
3. Add floured livers to hot oil and season with Zehnder’s Chicken Seasoning and white pepper.
4. Cook livers until they are cooked only halfway through, remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.
5. On a sheet pan, cook bacon on a parchment lined sheet pan in a 350F oven until cooked halfway through.
6. As soon as the bacon is cool enough to touch, roll the bacon around the half cooked liver and pick with a toothpick.
7. Place the rumaki on a parchment lined sheet pan and cook in a 350F oven until the bacon is cooked to your desired crispness.
8. Serve as is or with dill pickle spears.
Zehnder’s Chicken in Phyllo:
2 lbs. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 lbs. Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 lbs. Feta Cheese, crumbled
3 Scallions, sliced thin
1 Tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp. Sesame Oil
1/2 Tsp. Soy Sauce
1/2 lb. Butter, melted
8 Sheets Phyllo Dough
1. In a 350F oven, cook chicken breasts until their internal temperature reaches 165F.
2. Allow chicken breasts to cool to room temperature and then cut into strips 1/8″ thick.
3. Mix chicken strips, cream cheese, feta cheese, scallions, black pepper, sesame oil and soy sauce together well in a bowl. Refrigerate for one hour or up to 24 hours.
4. Place 2 sheets of Phyllo dough on a cool, dry, hard surface and brush melted butter on making sure to cover completely but do not over saturate.
5. Repeat Step #4 until there are eight sheets total.
6. Place the filling mixture on the end of the sheet of Phyllo in the shape of a log and then roll the Phyllo dough tightly around the filling.
7. Bake in a 350F oven for 25-35 min. until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
8. Serve with Alfredo Sauce or Raspberry Coulis.
