Retro appetisers

NZ Woman's Weekly 2/12/2011

Wendyl Nissen

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Before the 1950s there wasn't much going on in the way of parties where Nana was concerned. A bit of a knees-up at the local church was about as far as it went. But then came the 1950s and a spirit of celebration kicked in. Primary to this was alcohol, in all manner of cocktails, but a good hostess would make "careful arrangements for the refreshments" as one of my old books instructs. In posh homes they were called hors d'oeuvres, or they were simply known as appetisers, snacks or savouries. Today, we tend to go for platters of antipasto featuring prosciutto, dried tomatoes and olives, but why not surprise your party guests with some of these distinctly retro offerings?

Angels on Horseback

1	White bread
1 cm	Lard, or butter
6	Oysters, or smoked fish
½ cup	Lemon juice
3 tbsp	Cayenne pepper
1 piece	Streaky bacon

Cheese ball

250 g	Cream cheese
250 g	Tasty cheese
1	Gherkin, finely chopped
2	Pickled onions, finely chopped
3	Stuffed green olives, finely chopped
2 tsp	Worcestershire sauce
1 handful	Walnuts, or almonds
1 to taste	Salt & freshly ground pepper

Directions

Angels on Horseback

Cut six rounds of bread and fry in the fat or butter until golden.
Sprinkle each oyster with lemon juice and cayenne pepper, then wrap in a small piece of bacon.
Place one oyster on each piece of fried bread and grill in the oven just long enough to cook the bacon. Serve hot.

Cheese Ball

Leave the cream cheese out at room temperature to get soft and then mix with the grated cheese.
Add all the other ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.
Shape into a ball and roll in the chopped nuts. Serve chilled with crackers or chips.

Hot tips: These old favourites will look brilliant on a bed of green garnish, such as mesclun or parsley. Toothpicks are perfect for serving them with and make sure you have plenty of serviettes on hand for any greasy-fingered guests.

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