Hors d ' oeuvre And It's Classification | Types | Example

They are spicy in nature to stimulate the appetite. It includes variety of pickled and well seasoned  food stuffs. They are savoury dish served before main meal and can be pronounced as ( OR- DURV) It is served in small amount of each variety either from rotating trolley or or in a tray. It covers any food items which are served before the soup. Though any food served prior to the main course is technically a hors d' oeuvre , this phrase is generally limited to individual items , not crudités, cheese or Fruits. It is served Hot or cold or savoury , crunchy , soft and includes varieties of colour, textures. It should be light and not too heavy. It is starter in continental cuisine. 

GUIDELINES WHILE PREPARING HORS D' OEUVRE :-

There are many things to be considered while preparing hors d' oeuvre. Some of them are :- 

• Try not to serve too many different types of appetizers or guest will not be hungry for main entree.
• A general recommendation is to serve 1-2 different types of hors d'oeuvre when serving 12 guest and it should be less than 3-4 when serving more than 12 guest.
• They shouldn't have to be more fancy but should be decorative and eye appealing. It should be exciting and fresh. It should be arranged in such a way that the last person served is not left with mess of garnish.
• It should be carefully selected and should complement the event and main meal to follow. 
• While preparing hors d' oeuvre , hygienic and sanitary precautions should be followed . For instance, raw items like caviar , sashimi and oysters should be served on platter of crushed ice to avoid any kind of contamination and spoilage.

EXAMPLE OF HORS D' OEUVRE

Buffalo wings

Canapés

Caviar

Cold cuts

Deviled eggs

Cheeses

Sausage

Nachos

Spanakopita

Tongue toast

Dumplings

TYPES OF HORS D' OEUVRE 

There are various way to classify types of Hors d oeuvre :-

1. Hors d oeuvre varies ( various sections of side dishes)

2. Hors d oeuvre singular ( singular side dishes)

3. Hors d oeuvre chaud ( hot side dishes)

1. Hot and cold hors d oeuvre

2. Vegetarian and Non vegetarian hors d oeuvre

3. Classical and contemporary hors d Oeuvre

4. Hors d oeuvre singulaire and compound.

Hors d Oeuvre varies is the cheapest hors d Oeuvre and made from eggs , poultry, game , fish  and leftovers.  While Hors d oeuvre singular is comprises of food only in one piece or one portion and hors d Oeuvre chaud is made from eggs, meat, vegetables, pastries. Example - croquette , croutons.