I do not come from a one-bite family. Unless that one bite was Godzilla’s. So I have trouble with the notion of dainty hors d’oeuvres. If you’re going to go to the trouble of putting something in your mouth, it should at least be a mouthful—like these. What follows are a few of my tried-and-true favorites—plus making them is way easier than spelling hors d’oeuvres.
TUNA FISH + CHIPS
Serving gorgeous, sushi-quality tuna on a potato chip is so wrong it’s gloriously right. Buy the best sushi-quality tuna, remove the skin and dark spots or have your fishmonger do it, then dice into small pieces. Mix two-thirds tamari to one-third sesame oil and whisk in a little wasabi. A half hour before serving, toss tuna with enough dressing to coat. When ready to serve, plop a spoonful of tuna onto perfect,
unbroken ruffled potato chips; garnish with sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions.
CAPRESE POPS
Cube fresh mozzarella into one-inch bites. Spear each onto a bamboo skewer with a cherry tomato and set on a serving tray. Put two handfuls of fresh basil with two shots of extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle over your skewers.
BUFFALO CHICKEN SCOOPS
Place boneless chicken breasts or thighs (2 pounds will feed 6 to 10 people) in a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Whisk 2 or 3 shots of Franks RedHot sauce with a few good drizzles of olive oil and two drizzles of Worcestershire; pour over chicken. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, cover chicken with foil, and roast for 20 minutes. Remove foil and roast till done (15 to 20 minutes depending on size of chicken). Once cool, shred chicken. Bring leftover marinade from the baking pan to a boil in a saucepan then pour over chicken. Add more Franks, and salt and pepper to taste. Fill little taco cups (like Tostitos Scoops) with the buffalo chicken and top each with crumbled blue cheese. So cute! I like to dollop them with celery salsa too: Mix a coffee cup of finely diced celery, a plop each of finely minced red onion and finely minced jalapeño with a few drizzles of fresh lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, and a
handful of chopped fresh cilantro.
Photographed by Andrea Monzo
This article originally appeared in BUST’s Fall 2022 print edition. Subscribe today!
