Tag: appetisers

  • Gravadlax

    Marinated salmon served on a mousse and salad bed

     

    Gravadlax, also known as gravlax, is a Scandinavian dish consisting of fresh, raw salmon fillet marinated with salt, sugar and dill. Once cured, it’s sliced thinly. It originated as a means to preserve fish in the days before refrigeration. The fish was prepared with salt and dill and then buried in the ground. (‘Grav’ is Swedish for ‘grave’ or ‘pit’. ‘Lax’ is Swedish for ‘salmon’.)

    These days it can easily be made at home in the fridge. Using beetroot in the cure has become fashionable and gives the salmon an interesting colour. The Not Delia website has a delicious take on this using a fresh orange, honey and soy sauce.

    Not Delia: Marinated salmon

  • Bhaji

    http://www.notdelia.co.uk/images/recipes/indian/onion-bhajis.jpg

    A bhaji, sometimes called ‘bhajia’, is an Indian snack. It’s a vegetable fritter. For example, you could have cauliflower bhajis, aubergine bhajis or, the most common in British Indian cuisine, onion bhajis.

    The word ‘bhaji’ is Hindi for ‘vegetable’.

    It’s easy to make by slicing the vegetables and coating them in a batter of gram flour and spices, then deep frying.

    Bhajis are usually served with a dip as part of an Indian meal or a starter.

    More information

    Not Delia: How to make onion bhajis

  • Abat-faim

    This is a French culinary term which has become obsolete these days. Literally, abat-faim means “hunger killer” and it was used as a course prior to the main course of a meal to appease the guests’ hunger before starting on the main course.

    These days you’re more likely to be served with hors d’Ĺ“uvres or appetisers rather than any kind of abat-faim.

    If you’re looking for snacks, starters or tapas, try the Not Delia food blog as there are plenty of good ideas on there.