You have to work in a catering company to be able to understand the different denominations that customers give to the services, such as pica- pica, catering, finger food, Spanish wine or cocktail...
And it's all the same: standing service with appetizers passed by "bite-sized" waiters.
The name Finger food, "food that you put in your mouth with your fingers", perhaps refers more to the complexity of the appetizer itself, which is like a complete dish, with all its nuances of flavor and well presented.
And there are those who argue that in a finger food the different appetizers should be presented as a traditional menu, as starters, first courses, main courses and desserts.
But for us a finger food is the same as a cocktail: a meal served standing up.
This type of catering service is very common in corporate events because the purpose of the meal is to interact with other colleagues or clients, and a finger food is a more informal and relaxed concept that allows for this.
At Artigot Catering we differentiate finger food according to the number of small bites served. If they are from 6 to 12 it is a Spanish wine, if they are from 12 to 24 appetizers they are cocktails: the more bites, the longer the service time and the stronger the food. That is why it is so important to know how much time you have for the cocktail and whether the purpose is to be satiated or simply a 30-45 minute detail that encourages interaction among the guests.
More recently finger food has become fashionable at social celebrations. We've all suffered through a meal sitting next to the most boring friend at the party, and the standing format allows us to spread the tedium among everyone.
No one can conceive of a wedding without a pre-cocktail reception, which is becoming more and more extensive in terms of time and number of bites to the detriment of the banquet, which is being reduced to the main course and dessert.
It is true that cocktails have evolved a lot since those smoked ham and York ham canapés that we had as the most in thing.
As caterers, we strive to make bites that provoke a wow in the diners, that produce an explosion of flavor in their mouths, or that, when presented in a different way, remind them of a traditional dish they are familiar with.
Here are some examples:
A liquid olive spherification, in the shape of a green olive, is pure oil when it melts in the mouth and provokes a reaction of surprise in the diner that is worth seeing.
A small spoon with potato cream on the base, a slice of octopus, spherifications of AOVE and paprika, has the flavor of the octopus "a feira" of all life.
Artigot Catering introduces every year new dishes according to the gastronomic trends of the moment.
We also strive to "teach to eat" to the public, much more receptive nowadays it must be said, presenting appetizers that enter through the eyes and that the waiter explains and motivates to be tasted. It is true that when Artigot is already well accepted by the client, it is not difficult to introduce and make fashionable some new snack. In any case, it is necessary to be careful and to combine very popular snacks with new ones, just in case, ....
The support where the appetizers are presented in a finger food is very important.
It is best if, as far as possible, the support is also edible and complements the flavor of the snack, for example, cookie cones with savory fillings.
Skewers are also very useful when you want to mix products and flavors: grilled vegetable skewers, chicken yakitori, seasonal fruit skewers...
Chinese spoons are widely used because many appetizers feature ingredients that cannot be picked up with the fingers, for example, a mini bluefin tuna tataki or marinated salmon.
And the mini bowls, tins or casseroles for more substantial dishes, such as risotto or cubes of sirloin steak with mustard sauce. Always with mini cutlery, of course.
You are already thinking about the amount of material that these appetizers generate, aren't you? That's right, that's why it's important to have waiters who pick up all the tableware that is left on top of the tablecloths.
And of course, there are also skewers that can be eaten with your fingers, such as foie gras, croquettes, gyozas, cheeses and Iberian, mini burgers, mini pastries .... In this case, in Artigot we put a lot of effort in getting original and very nice trays, and in decorating each one with sprouts or other mini plants. We have already said that you eat through the eyes...
Finally, we believe that the order in which the bites are served should be logical: the liquid olive or the octopus spoon are appetizers or starters, such as cheeses and Iberian cured meats and would come first; a marinated salmon or a foie ferrero would be first courses; a risotto, cubes of sirloin or mini hamburger would be second courses and some mini pastries or fruit skewers to finish. And always alternating hot and cold bites.
Finger food or cocktails are becoming more and more popular because they facilitate the interaction between guests and because more and more importance is given to gastronomy: we want to eat well, enough and well presented original or traditional products.
