With Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook, Stewart, along with Martha Stewart Living food editor Susan Spungen and photographer Dana Gallagher, has created not just a handbook but a dream book. The first 225 pages consist entirely of beautifully photographed, exquisite nibbles, tastes, and bites--and the following 270 pages give you the recipes and instructions to re-create them at home.
These Asian-flavored sandwiches, with their half crust of toasted sesame seeds, make a particularly dramatic appearance when lined back-to-back to form a long pyramid. Don't skip toasting the sesame seeds, since it depens their flavor. The chicken salad may be made a day in advance and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Makes 2 Dozen
1 medium onion, skin on, sliced in half
6 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 3 1/2-pound chicken, giblets, removed, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons homemade or prepared mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons finely chpped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced crosswise to yield 1/4 cup
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 very thin slices of white sandwich bread
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
Mizuna leaves, for garnish
Place the onion, peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme in a large pot. Add the chicken to the pot with just enough cold water to cover. Cover and bring to a simmer. Then uncover and cook for 1 hour. Drain the chicken, reserving the cooking liquid, and set the chicken aside to cool. Discard the seasonings and refrigerater or freeze the stock for future use. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard. Shred the meat from the chicken and then chop it very fine. Refrigerate, covered, until well chilled.
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and sesame oil. Add this to the chicken and combine well. Add the cilantro, chives, and scallions and combine well. Add salt annd pepper to taste. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
Spread each bread slice with butter, reserving some butter for garnishing. Spread and even layer of chicken salad onto half of the slices of bread. Top with the other half of the slices to make sandwiches. Trim the crusts. Cut each sandwich on the diagonal. Arrange the sandwiches long-edge down in a row to form a horizontal pyramid. Spread the remaining butter along one side of the pyramid. Spread the toasted sesame seeds along the buttered edge to cover. Granish the platter with mizuna leaves and serve.
These Asian-flavored sandwiches, with their half crust of toasted sesame seeds, make a particularly dramatic appearance when lined back-to-back to form a long pyramid. Don't skip toasting the sesame seeds, since it depens their flavor. The chicken salad may be made a day in advance and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
