No great party is complete with good friends, a good location, great drinks, and tasty food. Whether it is an informal gathering, or a formal soiree, the food you serve will be one of the centerpieces of the affair. People gather around food, and the better the food is, the happier your guests will be. However, having food at your party doesn’t mean you have to make a five course dinner. A cocktail party allows your guests to walk around and socialize with others, without the constriction, and extra planning, of seating arrangements. Cocktail parties also allow you as a host or hostess to show off your creativity, pairing great drinks with spectacular food. In addition, it cuts down on your time in the kitchen, so you can spend more time preparing for your guests. With the holiday season soon approaching, you will have a number of opportunities to entertain friends. If you plan on throwing a cocktail party, but you are not exactly sure what to make for your guests, here is a great recipe to help you get started. One of my favorites, this hors d’oeuvre has always been a hit at my cocktail parties.
Tuna Tartare Wonton Squares
If you have ever watched the Bravo television show, “Top Chef”, you know that tuna tartare is one of the classiest hors d’oeuvres around, and tasty too. This little morsel is extremely easy and fast to make, so it’s perfect if you’re pressed for time. To make Tuna Tartare Wonton Squares, you’ll need, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 12 3-3 ½-inch square wonton wrappers, cut into quarters, 10 ounces of sashimi-quality tuna, diced into 1/8-inch pieces and chilled (you may need to go to a specialty store for this), 3 tablespoons of chopped green onions, green portion only, 3 tablespoons of pine nuts, 1 tablespoon, and then 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 ½ teaspoons of chopped jalapeños with the seeds removed, and 1 teaspoon of grated and peeled fresh ginger.
First, prepare the oven by preheating it to 350ºF. While you wait for the oven to heat up, brush a baking sheet with the vegetable oil. Then, arrange the wonton squares on the sheet and place them in the oven. Bake the squares until they are a golden brown. This should take about 10 minutes, but keep your eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. When the squares are fully baked, take them out of the oven and set them aside to cool. Next, you want to make your tuna mixture. Mix the tuna, green onions, pine nuts, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger together in a medium bowl until the ingredients are well blended. You do not want to let this sit; use it immediately.
Last, place a large heap of the tuna mixture on each of the wonton squares and arrange them on a serving plate placed over a bowl of ice. Make sure that the tuna is very cold. If it isn’t your hors d’oeuvre will not taste the way it should and the tuna could spoil.
