Starting Something Good

I was out to dinner recently with a friend from America when I was reminded of his slightly curious habit of eating multiple starters and dessert rather than three normal courses. I remembered the first time he did this in my company and at the time thinking it was quite unusual. It was about four years ago and we were in a chic high end restaurant with proper linen tablecloths and smartly uniformed waiters and waitresses. Having been given the appropriate amount of time to study the fancy menu the waiter approached whereby three of us gave the expected choice of starter and main course. When it came to my American friend he simply ordered three starters; one to arrive when ours did and the other two to coincide with our main courses. I almost expected the waiter to have a “that will upset up the kitchen staff” attitude, but he didn’t. And why should it ever upset the kitchen? To be honest I think it’s a great idea but I always forget to do it. The restaurant can’t complain either as there is little difference in the money spent and you get to sample several different taste experiences in one meal; very clever. Of course these days many restaurants do tasting menus; several smaller plates served over several courses.

It got me thinking that the first course, starter or appetizer as it is sometimes called, is often the most memorable part of a great meal. Obviously it hits your taste buds when they are still fresh and you are most hungry. As the name suggests, the role of the appetizer is to stimulate the appetite before a meal and it’s meant to be a small serving of food. Sadly what you find these days is that starters can be very rich and very filling, which totally goes against their supposed true nature. For me soup as a starter can sometimes be a poor choice as I enjoy it best with a strong brown bread. This is often far too filling a first course and rarely leaves the proper room to enjoy the main, let alone a dessert.

The other interesting thing about good starters is that they generally tend to be lighter. Obviously the portion is smaller, but generally the food is too. The richness of excessive cream sauces and luxurious meat gravies tend to be the domain of the main course. On the particular evening in question two out of the three of us who ordered starters and main courses couldn’t fit a dessert. On the other hand my Californian friend was ready for something sweet without the concern that he would be overfull. Starters tend to be ‘drizzled’ with dressings, oils or sauces rather than ‘bathed’ in them, like a main. If it is a pastry based confection you can usually bank on the lightest filo sort while pasta is often of the angel hair variety; the name itself conjuring heavenly lightness. Pancakes come in their smaller Russian guise of bite size blinis and even toast gets the ‘melba’ treatment when served with pates and rocket.

Following on from that night I began to think about concentrating an entire meal at home based around starters. I thought it would be the perfect basis for a summer supper. Of course the idea is hardly new. Our European neighbours in Spain and Italy have been doing it for years. Effectively Tapas from Spain (and Cicchetti in Italy) is where the concept of small plate dining was developed. Interestingly both these countries also enjoy warmer climates and are hailed as having healthier diets. So naturally the idea of starters only works really well in the summer.

When preparing and serving a bunch of starters it’s also an opportunity to serve fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. A selection of local cheeses can grace the table and shouldn’t just be thought of as something for the end of a meal while a plate of cold cooked meats, Irish Style Tapas if you like, works also. As a keen cook there is the chance to try a few different dishes and techniques. If one dish doesn’t turn out exactly as you had planned, there are always others to move onto so it takes away much of the anxiety. And finally it also gives you an opportunity to try some rare and sometimes expensive ingredients that might be cost prohibitive for main course portions. Many starters can be prepared in advance and so it also means that an evening of cooking for friends can also be an evening actually spent with friends. I also love the idea of letting people create their own combinations. All you have to do is provide plates of meat, seafood, cheeses, breads, crackers and a variety of relishes, chutneys and spreads and let your guests have fun doing the rest. This is a really casual way of doing things and always fun.

At the more formal end of the spectrum many high end restaurants have signature starters and often this comes in the form of a skyscraping, gravity defying salad which often looks more impressive than it tastes. Personally I think this is a little boring and you should be aiming for something more adventurous. There is another myth out there that gourmet starters are expensive and difficult to make. The real secret to tasty gourmet starters lies in fresh ingredients put together in a host of appetizing ways. It certainly isn’t rocket science and all it requires is a little imagination and a sort of ‘light’ thinking. It is very important to remember that a good starter is not just a smaller portion of a main course. That’s no fun at all. Think light, think summer, think small and your almost there. Below are a few ideas for you to try and, if all else fails, you can always fall back on the traditional Irish starter, the bowl of vegetable soup!