A month ago I posted the technique for making a Fruit Mostarda, a condiment made of candied fruit in a mustard-flavored syrup. The immediate use is as a great appetizer on crackers or bread with some goat cheese. Or brie. Or simply your favorite cheese for appetizer nibbling. The mostarda has enough power to avoid being overwhelmed by any cheese, yet enough sweetness so it will not attack the palate or even dominate the cheese.
In the picture above, you don’t see the mostarda but it is there. This layered appetizer from Corinne Trang is an appetizer skyscraper. Well, perhaps a low rise: toasted bread is given just a tiny dollop of mostarda, then on goes some bare bones guacamole, next a layer of vinegared onion [or stir-fried if you prefer]. And the whole edifice is crowned with cilantro – although chives or parsley are options you can apply.
Easily made in quantity, this is an ideal appetizer for a crowd. Suzi and Corinne crank these out for parties of 10 to 50. Served on a platter, there is a soft elegance offered by the guacamole. The onion is a surprise flavor and many people, downing the app in one big bite, never seeing that little bit of mostarda. But they do taste it.
Red or white wine work equally well with the complexity of flavors here. A whiskey sour is even better.
Corinne Trang’s Many Layered Guacamole Surprise
Yield: Serves 10
Ingredients:
- 5 ½-inch thick slices of sourdough bread, reasonable large [please, no Wonder Bread]
- 1 recipe of mostarda — or you buy some mostarda or you can use pepper jelly
For the guacamole:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 2 limes
- 1 chipotle pepper, slathered in adobo
- Salt
- NO cilantro — this is bare bones guacamole
For the onion:
- 1 medium red onion, skinned and julienned very fine
- ½ cup of red wine vinegar, or more as needed
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Preparation:
Toast the bread in the oven while preparing the guacamole and onions. Once toasted, allow to cool to room temperature.
Peel and halve the avocadoes and remove the pits. Scoop the meat into a bowl. Squeeze in the juice of one lime immediately to prevent discoloration. Dice the chipotle and add to the bowl. Using two forks, mash to a smooth paste. If you desire, add the juice of more lime and perhaps some salt. Refrigerate.
Make sure the onion slices are very fine. Put them into a glass bowl and add the vinegar, enough to cover the onions. Sprinkle on the sugar and salt. Stir to mix. Leave at room temperature to meld for 30 minutes.
To assemble, cut the toasted bread into 1-inch squares. Place a small dollop of mostarda on each square and flatted it out towards the edges, but not to the edge — keep it hidden. Add a generous spoonful of the guacamole, then a few slices of the onions. Finish with an adornment of freshly cut cilantro.
Arrange on platter for maximum visual impact. Enjoy one bite, one square at a time.
Source: Corinne Trang at Cooking by the Book
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/5 for1/50th second at ISO‑2000