By Cindy Hazen, Contributing Editor
The beauty of appetizers is their versatility. They can begin a meal or make a dinner; they can be healthy or indulgent, homespun or gourmet; and they can be created out of just about every food group.
Flavorful inspirations
Flavor trends can be transferred from different product categories. “We use on-trend snack seasonings, or flavor profiles from dips, and incorporate them into the coating,” says Elaine Wells, marketing manager, Griffith Laboratories, Alsip, IL. Think breaded cheese bites seasoned with sour cream and onion or Buffalo wing flavors, coconut chicken tenders, and a chicken cake (instead of crab).
Breadings can be made from snack-type coatings, such as tortilla chips, shoestring potatoes, pretzels, puffed-rice pieces and soy nuts, as well as large vegetable pieces and pieces of fruit, notes John Kaufmann, R&D manager, Kerry Ingredients & Flavours, Americas Region, Beloit, WI.
Sauces broaden appetizer flavor horizons. In fact, several different sauces might go with one appetizer. In a restaurant setting, this “allows the consumer to try various profiles by only making one commitment,” says. Kaufmann “This also satisfies more than one person at the table, increasing the chances of a party choosing to purchase an appetizer.”
Better bites
Kaufmann has noticed a rise in better-for-you appetizers. “For example, manufacturers are using leaner protein sources, such as soybeans, and offering lower-GI starches, such as using sweet potato instead of potato,” he says. Gluten-free and whole- or multigrain are also appearing on appetizer labels. “In the retail world, there has been a movement to increase vegetable equivalents of some appetizers by using innovative coatings and sauces, too,” he says.
Barb Forde, director R&D, Griffith Laboratories, suggests a dry seasoning product “that cooks to a sauce/rub hybrid, while withstanding the high heat intensity of grilling.” This system performs well on chicken or shrimp and has seen success on a skewered appetizer.
Crusted coatings can incorporate whole grains, multigrains, seeds, fruits, vegetables and seasonings. “These more-health-conscious products were developed to be oven-cooked, to help reduce the fat, without any trans fat, that would be contributed from par-fry or full-fry preparation,” says Forde. Smaller portions with reduced cook times, such as appetizers, may be par-fried, depending on the ingredients in the coating. The company combines these coatings with flavors like Mediterranean, New England butter and tarragon, Thai lemongrass and red chili, and cracked black pepper with herbs and fruit.
“The granulation of the products is slightly coarser than traditional cereal coatings, with lots of visual differentiation in both color and shape,” says Forde. “The blend includes both fine and larger coarse ingredients, contributed by the breading, as well as the fruit, vegetable and spice components. This blend of coarse and fine portions assists with delivering complete coverage.”
