Why Anthony Bourdain Praised This Frozen Appetizer

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The culinary celebrity Anthony Bourdain, the late sage of such disparate topics as travel dining and store-bought ketchup, could be plenty unpredictable. One can probably imagine that he was heavily in favor of the former, having had a few TV shows on the topic, but also preferred the latter over purportedly fancier takes on the classic condiment. Bourdain was simply able to appreciate good things, whether they required trips all over the world, or a visit to the local supermarket or grocery store. And that includes a humble appetizer found in the freezer aisle: pigs in a blanket.

In his 2016 book "Appetites," Bourdain extols the virtues of the simple frozen blanket pigs — cocktail franks baked in a pastry encasement — as sometimes being even more appealing to party guests than far fancier snacks. The nostalgic bites just have the broad appeal and ease of preparation that makes them both a hit with most meat-eating visitors and a breeze for the host. Imagine, in fact, that the caviar tins and foie gras at your next fête are running low. A baking sheet full of pigs in a blanket could be ready to replenish the fare in a matter of minutes. They might even come across as cheeky, but they'll definitely be delicious. "Always keep some pigs in the blanket in the freezer," Bourdain ultimately asserts in the book.

Dressing these appetizers up too much would kind of defy both their conceit and Anthony Bourdin's whole argument that they can be just as dazzling, if not more so, than traditionally finer foods. Of course, that doesn't mean that there isn't someone out there topping pigs in a blanket with pricey fish eggs. Your next at-home blanket pigs service, however, should lean into little more than a complement of condiments to keep in the spirit of the convenient finger food.

Pigs in a blanket are at their understated peak when arranged on a tray with all manner of toppings removed into ramekins with little spoons for scooping. An assortment of mustards like bright ballpark yellow, seeded Dijon, and sweet honey varieties would be marvelous. Sriracha, pickle relish, and Thai chili sauce are also terrific. And don't forget about that good old bottle of mass-produced ketchup lingering in the refrigerator. Just like the pigs in a blanket themselves, this is the trusty bottle's time to shine.