APPETIZER RECIPES: Pulled Pork on Potato Pancakes . . . Mulled Apple Cider with Orange and Ginger. . . Cream Cheese wih Hot Pepper Jelly

Pulled Pork on Potato Pancakes

1 small, fully cooked cottage ham

Potato pancakes (recipe follows)

Apple-onion compote (recipe follows)

Pull the meat into shreds, discarding fat and bones. Just before serving, reheat the pancakes in a single layer on baking sheets at 275 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, arrange on serving trays and mound shredded meat on each pancake. Top with a spoonful of apple-onion compote.

Yield: About 2 dozen.

Potato Pancakes

1 small yellow onion

1 medium baking potato, peeled

3 tablespoons flour

1 egg

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

Peel onion and grate on the fine holes of a box grater to yield one-third cup. Scrub potato and grate on the large holes of a box grater to yield 1½ cups.

In a medium bowl, combine the onion, potato, flour, egg, salt and pepper. Butter a 12-by-17-inch baking sheet. Place a 1½-inch round biscuit cutter near one corner of the baking sheet. Fill the cutter with 1 tablespoon of the potato mixture and pat down to fill cutter evenly. Gently remove cutter and repeat process to make 24 pancakes. Or shape the patties with your hands. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes to set the pancakes. Remove from oven, flip pancakes and bake 10 to 12 minutes longer. Drain on paper towels. May be made a day in advance and reheated.

Apple-Onion Compote

1 small Granny Smith apple, unpeeled

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1½ teaspoon canola oil

1 small red onion, sliced very thin

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon Calvados (apple brandy)

Dice the apple into ¼-inch cubes. You should have about ½ cup. Toss with the lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat the butter and oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until the onions soften, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions darken slightly (do not let them brown) and become soft, about 10 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high and add the apples. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring once. Add the Calvados, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, about 30 seconds. Serve warm. The compote may be refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 1 day. To reheat, combine the compote with 1 teaspoon of water in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until warm.

Mulled Apple Cider with Orange and Ginger

1 navel orange

10 whole cloves

8 cups apple cider

1 3-inch cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

10 allspice berries

½ cup packed brown sugar

6 thin slices fresh ginger

Cut orange in half and stud the skin with the cloves. Place in a saucepan with remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain into a thermal pitcher. Serve warm.

Yield: Serves 12.

Cream Cheese wih Hot Pepper Jelly

8 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened

¾ cup hot pepper jelly

Assorted crackers, pita chips, crostini (toasted bread rounds) or minitoasts

Place the cream cheese on a round serving plate; spread it out slightly so that it is in a layer about ½ -inch thick. Spread the hot pepper jelly over the top of the cream cheese.

Or whip softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl to make it spreadable or softened enough to pipe through a pastry bag. Decoratively pipe the cream cheese onto crackers, little toasts, etc. Top with about ¼ teaspoon of the jelly.

Yield: Serves 16.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 97 calories, 45 percent of calories from fat, 5 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 12 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 42 milligrams sodium, 16 milligrams cholesterol, 11 milligrams calcium, no fiber.

Tags: appetizer recipes, pulled pork, potato pancakes, apple-onion compote, mulled apple cider, cream cheese with hot pepper jelly, features, food, recipes