Canapé Back - Queen Mary 2

Get the Delicious Dish

I just returned from a Trans-Atlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2. We boarded the luxury liner in New York City and settled in for a 6 day, fabulous food-filled excursion across the North Atlantic to Southampton, England.

Upon arriving at our stateroom, we found amongst the lavish ” welcome” goodies of fresh fruit, flowers, chocolates and sparkling wine—a silver tray of canapés. I was drawn to the tray with guarded optimism. Unfortunately, Cold Canapes have fallen into a questionable category in the American culinary repertoire-- considered to be attractive to the eye, but flat in flavor. As we exited New York Harbor, I chose from smoked salmon with crème and caviar; foie gras mousse with a sliver of strawberry; poached shrimp with cocktail sauce; and grapes with cream cheese and pistachios. As I said goodbye to the Statue of Liberty, I also said goodbye to my pre-conceived canapé considerations. I was now among the “canapé converted".

The chefs of the Cunard line—currently comprised of the Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and the soon-to-be launched Queen Elizabeth (3) take great care to pamper the palate. The canapés that are delivered to your stateroom each evening to enjoy with cocktails as you dress for dinner (I could get used to this) make their first culinary impression of the evening. As evidenced by this piece, first impressions make lasting impressions.

Canapés as we know them today, originated in France. They were a creation of classic French cuisine and, as such, were quickly adopted by countries in the habit of following French culinary trends—i.e. England, United States. The word canapé means literally 'sofa' and the idea behind its gastronomic application is that the toppings--anchovies, caviar, smoked salmon, ham, etc.-- sit on the pieces of the bread as if on a sofa.

"Canapé” has been a culinary term in France since the late 18th century. A century later, in the 1890s, it became an English word referring to a tidbit of this kind. Now that yet another hundred years have passed, the usage continues, although it sounds old-fashioned and is most likely to be found in contexts such as catered receptions or 'cocktail parties'. Canapes may be hot or cold. If hot, they come close to what are called “savouries” in British English. In either case they are capable of being classified as “hors d'oeuvres” in most culinary contexts.

In New Orleans, when I think of the word “Canapé”, the first item that comes to mind is the Canape Lorenzo-- a hot crabmeat appetizer at Galatoire’s.  I first became acquainted with this dish over 25 years ago. I was awaiting a dining companion and noticed Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet dining solo at a deuce by the front window. Being a consummate foodie dating back to my then college years, I watched with great interest as to which dishes were brought to his table.  I noticed the dome-shaped, anchovy-laced starter make its way through the dining room.  I immediately inquired-- as I was not familiar with this offering – then followed “the Frug’s” lead. To my delight, the Canapé Lorenzo featured giant lumps of crabmeat bound by a béchamel, then mounded on a bread round and broiled to create a light and flavorful puff. This delicious canapé is definitely beyond bite-sized, but makes a great Galatoire’s first impression.

Check out the Galatoire’s Cookbook for the following recipes: Crabmeat Canapé Lorenzo; Smoked Salmon Mousse Canapés,; and Fried Oyster Rockefeller Canapés with Hollandaise to not only make an impression, but make “Canapé Converts” out of your family and friends.

Comments (0)

Name

Comment

smaller | bigger

Add Comment