Fabulous French Appetizer Recipes That Bring the Bistro Home

Each of these hors d’ouevres will add a touch of sophisticated simplicity to your next dinner party. Pour a round of aperitifs, try dry vermouth or open a bottle of Champagne, to complete the picture of elegance.

Chicken-Liver Mousse with Raspberry Jelly

Exquisite and easy, the rich combination of chicken livers and butter is beautifully complemented by sweet-tart raspberry jelly.

Egg-rich choux pastry gets a savory punch from cayenne pepper, lemon zest, scallions, and parsley. Once the dough is piped into rounds, it can be frozen for up to one month before baking.

"Fruits de mer" is the French term for seafood, it literally means "fruits of the sea." Present a bounteous harvest of shrimp, oysters, and lobster tails with simple homemade sauces on a bed of crushed ice for a spectacular start to the meal.

Our puff-pastry take on the pizzalike pissaladiere has slivered olives, anchovies, and plenty of onions. Using frozen puff pastry means it's perfect for last-minute get-togethers or casual cocktails.

Hollowed-out cucumbers become impressive vessels for creamy chilled soup.

This beloved French spread is an exceedingly elegant way to use up the leftover odds and ends of cheese in your refrigerator. Smear it on slices of baguette and run them under the broiler to have with drinks, or simply serve it with crackers.

A pleasingly pungent Provencal spread of olives, anchovies, capers, and garlic pairs well with sliced baguette or crudites.

Store-bought puff pastry gives you a jump-start in making this beautiful savory tart. Top it with shredded Gruyere cheese and asparagus spears, bake until golden-brown, and cut into dainty squares for a totally irresistible hors d’oeuvre.

In this time-honored tres francais combination, butter calms the spicy bite of garden-fresh radishes.

Ever wanted to try your hand at homemade croissants? Martha shows you how to make this exquisitely buttery laminated dough and fashion it into savory two-bite appetizers stuffed with French ham and Comte cheese.

The rich sweetness of roasted beets, the fresh anise scent of tarragon, and the crisp bitterness of endive leaves come together in one perfect bite.

Buttery bundles of crisp phyllo pastry hold a treasure of sauteed mushrooms, shallots, thyme, and creamy tidbits of goat cheese.

Oysters on the half-shell, Champagne (vinegar), and fresh tarragon: Wat could possibly be more French than this trio?

The classic French confection gets a savory makeover with Parmesan, cheddar, and your choice of fresh herbs folded up in a sheet of puff pastry.

Ordinary cheese is dressed up for a special occasion with brandy-kissed sauteed pears and balsamic glaze. You can use Brie or any other soft-ripened cheese for this recipe.