Η συνταγή και στα ελληνικά στο τέλος της ανάρτησης!
As you all know, the most famous and well known Greek cheese is feta. Nevertheless, Greece has a very rich and distinctive variety of other cheeses, which are very unique and rich in flavor. Due to the fact that one of the country’s most important economic activity was husbandry, it was only natural that people had to exploit the resources they had, to feed themselves.
The first written proof of the art of making cheese comes from Homer in his second book Odyssey which relates the 10year, troubled journey of Odysseus from Troy back to his country.
Nowadays, we are big consumers of cheese, actually the biggest in Europe with 23 kilos per person per year.
Apart from feta which is produced all over Greece, there are several other distinguished cheeses that are produced locally.
Kefalotiri, kefalograviera, graviera, xinomizithra, anevato, katiki (goat cheese), formaela, batzo, mastelo, kopanisti, san Michali, manouri, ladotiri, galotiri are only few of many others. Most of them are produced from sheep and goat’s milk. Cows were very scarce those days.
Since cheese was such an essential ingredient, it is found in many of the traditional Greek dishes. It is definitely an indispensable part of any Greek pie and it is a necessary appetizer to every fine meal.
What I am presenting today is not something traditional or something that you would see in every Greek house. It is an idea of mine that came to me as I was watching a TV series lol! Now that I come to think about it, for a person who eats like a bird (and not because I want to, but because I gain weight very easily), I am obsessed with food!
Thanksgiving and Christmas are approaching very fast and all of us will, at least once, have some friends coming over for lunch or dinner or for a drink. In any of these occasions, these canapés are the perfect hoers d’ oeuvres or a complement to our wine drinking.
They have a sweet and sour flavor and they fill your mouth with a soft sense of cheese and a bold flavor of sweet mushrooms and onions. I made them two weeks ago and I can tell you they were a big hit among the people who tried them. You can use any salted or unsalted cracker or you can bake small rounded or squared puff pastries and add the mousse and the mushrooms on them. I was running out of time and so I used crackers, but next time, because there will be next time, I am going to make them with puff pastry and I am sure they will taste even better.
Anthotiro Mousse and Caramelized Mushrooms Canapé
Ingredients
For the Mousse
150 gr. / 5 oz. Anthotiro cheese or ricotta
50 gr. / 2 oz. Feta cheese
½ cup heavy cream
¾ tsp gelatin
1 ½ tbsp. cold water
¼ tsp salt
Pepper
For the Sweet Mushrooms
200 gr. / 7 oz. Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp demerara sugar or any brown sugar
¼ cup white or red whine
1/8 tsp ginger
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp thyme
Salt and pepper
6 large crackers or puff pastry disks or 10 to 12 smaller crackers
Instructions
For the Mousse
Dissolve the gelatin in the cold water.
In a pot pour the feta, the anthotiro or ricotta and the heavy cream.
Simmer until the cheese is completely dissolved in the cream.
Add salt and pepper.
Add the gelatin and whisk gently.
Transfer the batter to a blender and mix very well.
Pour the batter to a glass container and refrigerate.
Leave it in the fridge for at least two hours or up to two days.
For the Sweet Mushrooms
In a skillet pour the olive oil and add the mushrooms and onion in medium/high heat.
Add the wine and let it boil until it stays half.
Throw the sugar and all the herbs and spices and mix.
Lower the heat to medium and let them caramelize and absorb all their liquids about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and put aside.
Assembly
Take the mousse out of the fridge 15 minutes before you serve the canapés.
Place it in the mixer and in medium speed mix for one minute to soften and become fluffy.
Take a cracker or a piece of puff pastry.
With a piping bag decorate them with the mousse and on top arrange the mushrooms and the onions.
Serve before meal or with wine.
Note: If you want to use puff pastry, take the dough cut it in small disks or squares, pinch them with a fork and bake them at 175° C/ 345° F for 20 minutes or until golden. Let them cool a little and then proceed as with the crackers.
There is a giveaway running until the 8th of December for the five years of Culinary Flavors. If you want to participate please check this post!
Το Culinary Flavors κλείνει πέντε χρόνια blogging και κληρώνει δύο γούρια, ευγενική χορηγεία του Ζούλοβιτς! Περισσότερες λεπτομέρειες εδώ!
- 150 gr. / 5 oz. Anthotiro cheese or ricotta
- 50 gr. / 2 oz. Feta cheese
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ tsp gelatin
- 1 ½ tbsp. cold water
- ¼ tsp salt
- Pepper
- 200 gr. / 7 oz. Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp demerara sugar or any brown sugar
- ¼ cup white or red wine
- ⅛ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 6 large crackers or puff pastry disks or 10 to 12 smaller crackers
- Dissolve the gelatin in the cold water.
- In a pot pour the feta, the anthotiro or ricotta and the heavy cream.
- Simmer until the cheese is completely dissolved in the cream.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Add the gelatin and whisk gently.
- Transfer the batter to a blender and mix very well.
- Pour the batter to a glass container and refrigerate.
- Leave it in the fridge for at least two hours or up to two days.
- In a skillet pour the olive oil and add the mushrooms and onion in medium/high heat.
- Add the wine and let it boil until it stays half.
- Throw the sugar and all the herbs and spices and mix.
- Lower the heat to medium and let them caramelize and absorb all their liquids about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and put aside.
- Take the mousse out of the fridge 15 minutes before you serve the canapés.
- Place it in the mixer and in medium speed mix for one minute to soften and become fluffy.
- Take a cracker or a piece of puff pastry.
- With a piping bag decorate them with the mousse and on top arrange the mushrooms and the onions.
- Serve before meal or with wine.
- 150 γρ. ανθότυρο
- 50 γρ. τυρί φέτα
- ½ φλ. κρέμα γάλακτος
- ¾ κ.γ. ζελατίνη
- 1 ½ κ.σ. κρύο νερό
- ¼ κ.γ. αλάτι
- Πιπέρι
- 200 γρ. μανιτάρια, καθαρισμένα και κομμένα σε φέτες
- 1 κρεμμύδι, κομμένο σε φέτες
- 2 κ.σ. ελαιόλαδο
- 2 κ.σ. ζάχαρη demerara ή οποιαδήποτε καφέ ζάχαρη
- ¼ φλ. λευκό ή κόκκινο κρασί
- ⅛ κ.γ. τζίντζερ
- ¼ κ.γ. σκόνη σκόρδου
- ¼ κ.γ. θυμάρι
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- 6 μεγάλα κράκερς ή 10 με 12 μικρά
- Διαλύστε τη ζελατίνη σε κρύο νερό.
- Σε μια κατσαρόλα ρίξτε τη φετα, το ανθότυρο ή ρικότα και την κρέμα γάλακτος.
- Σιγοβράστε μέχρι να λιώσει τελείως το τυρί στην κρέμα.
- Προσθέστε αλάτι και πιπέρι.
- Προσθέστε την ζελατίνη και ανακατέψτε.
- Μεταφέρετε το μίγμα σε ένα μπλέντερ και ανακατέψτε πολύ καλά.
- Ρίξτε το μίγμα σε γυάλινο δοχείο και βάλτε το στο ψυγείο.
- Αφήστε το στο ψυγείο για τουλάχιστον δύο ώρες ή έως δύο ημέρες.
- Σε ένα τηγάνι ρίξτε το ελαιόλαδο και προσθέστε τα μανιτάρια και το κρεμμύδι σε μέτρια/υψηλή θερμοκρασία.
- Σβήστε με το κρασί και αφήστε να βράσει μέχρι να μείνει η μισή ποσότητα κρασιού.
- Ρίξτε τη ζάχαρη και όλα τα βότανα και τα μπαχαρικά και ανακατέψτε
- Χαμηλώστε τη φωτιά στο μέτριο και αφήστε τα να καραμελώσουν και να απορροφήσουν όλα τα υγρά τους περίπου 10 έως 15 λεπτά.
- Βγάλτε από τη φωτιά και βάλτε τα στην άκρη.
- Βγάλτε τη μους από το ψυγείο 15 λεπτά πριν σερβίρετε τα καναπεδάκια.
- Βάλτε τη στο μίξερ και στη μέτρια ταχύτητα χτυπήστε για ένα λεπτό για να μαλακώσει και να γίνει αφράτη.
- Πάρτε ένα κράκερ ή ένα κομμάτι ψημένη σφολιάτα.
- Με ένα κορνέ τοποθετήστε τη μους και πάνω της τακτοποιήστε τα μανιτάρια και τα κρεμμύδια.
It was featured at Bouquet of Talent
