3 Light Asian-inspired Finger Food Ideas for Summer Functions
Posted on: 17 February 2016
With much of Australia sweltering in the summer heat, it can be challenging to come up with finger foods for summer functions. Here are some ideas for savoury fingers foods with an Asian inspiration that are perfect for summer functions.
Laotian larb
Laotian larb is made from highly spiced meats on top of a selection of shredded fresh vegetables, served in a small lettuce leaf basket. This is an easy to grasp finger food and the fresh vegetables make it perfectly refreshing on a hot day. Common recipes include 500g of mince (beef, pork or chicken), stir fried with 1 Tbsp each of ginger, lemongrass, chilli and lime rinds. you can serve it on a bed of chopped cabbage, carrots and capsisum inside a lettuce leaf, and then season with a mix of chopped coriander, mint and lime juice to taste. To make it a vegetarian dish, substitute crumbled tofu for the mince.
Fresh rice paper rolls
Another create fresh finger food option is fresh rice paper rolls which are commonly made in Vietnam. These are made by soaking rice paper wrapping in cold water, then creating a small filling including cold noodles, sprouts, tofu (or small amounts of meat) and sliced vegetables seasoned with coriander and mint. Fried peanuts can add some additional texture and taste. These are usually dipped in a sauce made from sweet chilli sauce, lime juice and fish sauce mixed to taste. Again, the moist wrap and high amounts of vegetables make this a refreshing choice.
These rolls can be made in any size from a delicate 5cm wrap, to heartier burrito style 15cm+ wraps depending on which size of wrap you purchase. As a rule of thumb the rolls you are making will generally be about half the diameter of the wraps, once filled and the edges tucked it.
Satay sticks
Malaysian satay sticks are another option for Asian style finger food. They are made by marinating thin strips of meat in a marinade made from equal parts lime juice, soy sauce and garlic. The meat soaks in the mix, then is threads onto satay skewers and traditionally cooked very quickly over at open flame. It's often served with a dipping sauce made from peanuts, lime juice and soy sauce with a little chilli added to taste.
If the idea of heading to the kitchen, even to prepared these simple finger foods, seems overwhelming in the summer heat you can always outsource the catering to a function catering firm. Outsourcing the cooking can leave you free to spend time with your guests and enjoy your function.
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