Snacking with the Green Fairy.

June 12, 2009 6:39 AM

Suggest me a hors d'oeuvre to take to an absinthe tasting.

A friend of mine is having an absinthe tasting this weekend. I'd like to bring along a tasty hors d'oeuvre that can be prepared ahead of time and will allow a small group of people to snack and drink in decadence. I'm reasonably accomplished in the kitchen and have a pretty good selection of ingredients at my disposal, so hit me with your best ideas for the occasion.

posted by 1f2frfbf to food & drink (17 comments total)

Try something that will cleanse the palate. You want something neutral. Don't do anything too sweet or the liquor will taste sour and bitter. Cheese and a wheat cracker comes to mind.
posted by Mastercheddaar at 7:04 AM on June 12

Pfeffernüsse or other anise-based (or fennel-based) foods would be appropriate, I think--there'd be interesting complimentary flavors.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:06 AM on June 12

I would go with something not too sweet; a bitter chocolate?
posted by archofatlas at 7:08 AM on June 12

Something salty or savoury wrapped in phyllo dough. A tiropita or spanikopita would be good.
posted by consummate dilettante at 7:18 AM on June 12

Absinthe by its nature is a bitter drink unless mixed very well. The key to mixing is to make it sweeter, for the most part. So along the lines of what mastercheddar stated, get something neutral as if it is remotely sweet or bitter it is going to make eating unbearable. Try to get a savory dish going on, maybe something a little salty to counter-balance the drink of choice.
posted by Gravitus at 7:34 AM on June 12

This is probably my inner Swede speaking, but new potatoes and a couple different varieties of pickled herring would go nicely, I think.
posted by Grither at 7:35 AM on June 12

How timely, as I prepare to do this again in a week.

My experience is limited. Some people add sugar to their absinthes (and some need it to be tolerable), and some do not, and so forth. If you're have a variety to sample, my big don't would be fruits. I made the mistake of having a fruit-laced chocolate in between and it just clobbered all of the fruity bits of what I was drinking.

Savory and salty, as above is pretty good. A mild, smooth cheese is also nice in between. And, yeah, water crackers do nicely.
posted by adipocere at 7:42 AM on June 12

I wouldn't serve something anise, or heavily herbal, as those are the flavors of some absinthes and I would think it would muddy the tasting. Sorbets are the traditional palate-cleansers with French foods, and that's the function of pickled ginger at sushi places, but neither do much for filling up the tummy.

You want to steer clear of anything with too much fat (heavy cream cheeses, for instance) which will cause flavors to "cling". In addition to water crackers (not cracked pepper), I'd try melon balls, rolled in finely chopped mint, or mild gingersnap. These crisp cookies (sans powder sugar) might work. I'd be tempted to try Smitten's graham crackers or the rosemary flatbread, though probably with the rosemary swapped for something lighter, like lemon thyme.
posted by crush-onastick at 9:00 AM on June 12

Pomme Frites
Mussels
Cheeses
posted by kaseijin at 9:16 AM on June 12

plenty of water either before or after - absinthe carries with it an especially note-worthy hangover, somewhere between Frat Party Hazing Last Night and I Just Woke Up - Hello, Officer!"
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:24 AM on June 12

Saganaki with toasted pita.
posted by torquemaniac at 10:31 AM on June 12

Savory, mild and salty. Stay away form sweet, fruity, bitter, herbaceous flavors--or anything with a flavor that lingers on the palate like garlic, onion or highly flavored chips or crackers. The cleansing food should only have flavors that aren't in the tasting foods, and sorbets are traditional palate cleansers because main courses are generally savory. Good absinthe with have some natural sweetness, but it's subtle, and will be overshadowed easily by fruit, and there will be all kinds of herbs, mint, citrus notes--so steer clear of anything like that. I'd go with bread or mild crackers and a hard salty-nutty cheese, like a swiss or jarlsberg, pecorino or even a sharp cheddar. Serve some bubbly water, too.

And you know it kind of depends on how seriously and scientifically everyone is taking it. After they've all chosen favorites and compared notes you might just switch to sipping your favorites and serve some more flavorful tidbits. Food in the belly helps with the high alcohol content.
posted by tula at 10:40 AM on June 12

I agree with the savory and slightly salty flavours. My suggestion would be smoked salmon on german style pumperknickel.
posted by tallus at 12:45 PM on June 12

Food in the belly helps with the high alcohol content.

And that's an important point. Absinthe may taste and look a bit like a cordial, but it's usually quite a bit stronger than even most straight liquors.
posted by MrMoonPie at 1:35 PM on June 12

Cheese straws or cheese biscuits*. Easy. I think something fatty would complement absinthe quite well.

*Not the fluffy, baking soda kind. Basically make the stiff dough for cheese straws, roll into a log shape, wrap with waxed paper, chill, and then slice thin bits off like for refrigerator cookies. For extra goodness, press a pecan half on each one.
posted by Stewriffic at 3:06 PM on June 12

Personally, I would go with some mild flavored seafood, scallops perhaps.
posted by tr0ubley at 1:19 PM on June 14

Many thanks for all the suggestions. Savory and salty were the key.

For the record, I made a chicken liver pâté with cracked pepper flatbread and a spinach/sausage/cream cheese dip with crackers and all parties were well pleased.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 6:59 AM on June 15