Carnival is a time for champagne fun and parties with friends. During a well-organised event, not only the music and home decor are important, but also a well-composed menu. Before you decide to serve main courses to your guests, make sure there are plenty of carnival appetisers on the table.
Snacks and appetisers - are they the same?
Snacks and appetisers - many people use these terms interchangeably, but there are a few fundamental differences between them that are worth knowing.
-
Snacks
Snacks at parties are usually served as standalone, small "bite-sized" dishes that quickly satisfy a light hunger. They are a good accompaniment to alcoholic beverages, do not cause a feeling of heaviness, but also do not constitute the main culinary attraction of the party.
If you are planning a carnival party, ensure a variety of snacks. Every guest should be able to choose something suitable for themselves. A good idea is to prepare three types of snacks: with meat, vegetarian, and vegan.
-
Appetisers
Appetisers are an addition served directly before the main course. At parties, both hot and cold appetisers are served - they should not be too filling, as they are only meant to whet and stimulate the appetite, while making the wait for the main course more pleasant. For this reason, unlike snacks, there should be few appetisers.
You can serve alcoholic beverages with both hot and cold appetisers. For example, a well-chilled, light wine - we recommend white - would be excellent.
Carnival appetisers - example suggestions
Original and tasty appetisers can be prepared in many different ways. Everything depends solely on your imagination and culinary skills. At the party, serve cold appetisers in the form of bruschetta made from rye bread, with fresh tomatoes and olives. Equally good ideas are fresh exquisite oysters with refreshing lime juice, which will surely satisfy even the most discerning guests. Serve them best with champagne!
Carnival appetisers can also be served in the form of patties, dumplings, salads, and stuffed vegetables. An interesting and proven solution is also cold appetisers with fish (e.g. salmon or tuna), as well as a cheese board.
Tip:
- With long-ripened cheeses such as cheddar, Emmental or Gruyère, dry and semi-dry red wines, e.g. Cabernet, pair well.
- For short-ripened cheeses, full-bodied, preferably red wine, is definitely best.
- Goat cheese – serve with rosé wine.
- Brie – white, red and sparkling wines will be ideal. Merlot or Sauvignon Blanc will therefore be an excellent choice.
- Roquefort and Gorgonzola – taste excellent with white wine – sweet or semi-sweet.
Serving appetisers - what and how to serve?
The appetisers you prepare for the party should captivate not only with their taste but also with their appearance. For this reason, their aesthetic and carefully considered presentation is very important.
To this end, it is worth buying elegant platters and salad bowls made of crystal-clear glass, which will beautifully display the appetisers, thus encouraging guests to taste them.
Caprese – an Italian-style carnival appetiser
Simple, quick, light and tasty cold appetizer – Italian Caprese is a must-have on the carnival menu.
Ingredients needed:
- tomatoes,
- mozzarella,
- balsamic vinegar,
- olive oil,
- basil,
- salt,
- pepper.
Wash the tomatoes thoroughly and slice them. Then drain and slice the mozzarella into similar thickness slices as the tomatoes. Arrange them alternately on a large, decorative plate with subtle, cobalt ornamentation (as in the photo). Season the tomatoes and cheese pieces with coarsely ground pepper and salt, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Decorate the finished appetizer with fresh basil leaves.
Avocado devilled eggs
Eggs and avocado - surprisingly, this is a duo you can successfully use to prepare cold carnival appetisers. To showcase them on the table, serve the eggs on a special glass plate.
To prepare this version of the appetizer, you only need... 30 minutes!
Ingredients:
- 5 eggs,
- 1 ripe avocado,
- 1 onion,
- 1 clove of garlic,
- chives,
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise,
- lemon juice,
- salt,
- pepper.
Boil the eggs until hard, remove the shells and cut them in half. Remove the yolks, chop them finely and transfer to a glass bowl or salad bowl. Then add finely chopped onion and garlic (you can press it through a special press) to the yolks. Cut the avocado into small cubes and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, which will enhance the fruit's flavour and prevent it from darkening. Add finely chopped chives (about 2 tablespoons) to the bowl, add salt and pepper. Mix everything together and use as a filling for the egg halves.
Important
Remember that small, colourful appetisers look most impressive in glass dishes, which visually create a stylish and cohesive whole. Take this into account when choosing appropriate salad bowls, platters, or plates.
Baked camembert cheese with a light sweet salad
A quick and tasty hot appetizer, ideal for any party, not just carnival, is baked camembert cheese with a delicate, slightly sweet salad. The ingredients needed to prepare this appetizer for two people are:
- 2 camembert cheeses,
- 1 ripe mango,
- 2 tomatoes,
- onion (preferably red),
- dried thyme,
- olive oil,
- balsamic vinegar,
- salt,
- pepper,
- fresh basil leaves for decoration.
Wash the tomatoes thoroughly and dice them. Wash, peel, and also dice the mango, and slice the onion into "feathers". Put all ingredients into a bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil, add salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C, place the cheeses on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, gently prick with a knife, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme. Leave in the oven for about 10 minutes.
Serve as a hot appetizer with a salad of tomatoes, avocado, and onion. Use fresh basil leaves for decoration. Optionally, you can drizzle the salad with balsamic vinegar, which will give it a deep and expressive flavor. Serve on elegant, square plates made of clear glass.