For eagle eyed viewers this weekend, there was a wedding… yes, obviously a Royal one but also a wonderful ceremony we catered in Rother Valley, Rotherham. Whilst guests were pouring in, smiles at the sunshine, our food was making a buzz and obviously the bride and groom were really showing the wonder of love on such a magical day; the day as a whole was a success!
One of the more interesting things we get asked to make for a wedding day are selections of finger foods that we are briefed with keeping people happy, giving lots of flavours and even providing some variety to the day.
Finger foods come in lots of different shapes, sizes, textures and flavour profiles so we thought we’d give you a small introduction into the different flavour pairings that are available and varieties to choose from, when it comes to your own special day.
Meze
“Meze or mezze is a selection of small dishes served to accompany alcoholic drinks in the Near East, the Balkans, and parts of Central Asia. In Levantine, Caucasian, and Balkan cuisines, meze is often served at the beginning of multi-course meals.”
Meze is a new starter dish in our culture that brings in eastern and baltic flavours into a new food lovers repertoire. They are spread amongst finger foods and single plate dishes and include things like lamb kebabs, falafel, maneesh, baba ganoush and dolmades.
If you have a crowd of eager to please foodies, then this is the kind of starter/finger food that you go for.
Cicchetti
“Cicchetti (also sometimes spelled “cichetti” or called “cicheti” in Venetian language) are small snacks or side dishes, typically served in traditional “bàcari” (cicchetti bars or osterie) in Venice, Italy.”
What you have here is what you would typically find in Italy bars, especially in Northern Italy and in particular Venice. Think of it like Italian tapas but where portions are smaller and traditionally are served to accompany drinks like an Aperol Spritz.
Dishes include bácaro (which is salted cod), polpette (meatballs), arancini (rice balls), baccalà mantecato (creamed cod) and sardines to name but just a few. There is more of a fish take here but what you want to focus on is the type of traditional Italian fayre that you find on markets dressed up to be smaller than a starter plate. The use of bread and bread sticks is common on this platter.
English Tea
There are a few things that we really understand in this great nation of ours and it is a fine cup of English tea but better yet, little sandwiches which are perfect for a grand entrance for your guests to enjoy. Could there be anything better than the taste of classics like cucumber, prawn, roast beef, coronation chicken?
Finger foods have come a long way since the 1970s and yet we turn to the classic flavours to enjoy on some of our special days.
Hors d’oeuvre
“A hors d’oeuvre, appetizer or starter is a small dish served before a meal. Some hors d’oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d’oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the meal, or they may be served before seating.”
We have become so used to eating at weddings and parties these little delights that we think they are just called appetizers. However, they do have a name and even, a specific purpose. They bridge the starter with the mains and sometimes act as the starter itself, especially in more intimate surroundings.
So what kinds of dishes are there? Crab toast, grilled oysters, mozzarella sticks, mac and cheese bites, Smoked Trout Blinis with Crème Fraîche and Dill and fritters to name but some.
What you want to focus on with your Hors D’oeuvre is to enjoy a wide variety and select the types that you would want to enjoy yourself as well as your guests as these can be quite easily planned and made in advance in most cases to feed a large group throughout the day.
These are just some ideas that we have around finger foods for your wedding, they can even apply to party’s and corporate events. Some are more suitable to certain catered events but overall what you want to look out for is a caterer that knows what you want, and can deliver on brief at the time.
