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Video Blog 55 Figs, Mini Saber and JLU.mov
Canape Calling
- Cut thinnish slices of baguette, brush them with olive oil and bake them in a hot oven (200C/400F/Gas mark 6) for about 10 minutes until golden. You now have a batch of crostini which will keep well, cooled and sealed in a plastic bag, for about a week, just waiting for you to top them with deliciousness for near instant canapés. Top them with:
- Slices of soft goat’s cheese, grilled until bubbling, topped with a sliver of roasted red pepper (from a jar, for speed)
- A dollop of crème fraîche and some smoked salmon or trout
- A sliver of rare roast beef, a dab of horseradish and frilly frond of dill
- Goat’s cheese, prosciutto and a tiny bit of fresh fig or, for a veggie option, goat’s cheese or gorgonzola, fig and the merest trickle of chestnut honey
- Some cooked crab meat mixed with finely chopped spring onion, coriander, sour cream, a squeeze of lime and a plash of Tabasco
- Wrap bocconicini (mini balls of mozzarella) in a basil leaf, then a piece of Parma ham, and skewer with a cocktail stick
- Tart up some plain old cashews or almonds by roasting in the oven at 200C/400F/Gas mark 6 until just golden and fragrant, about 8 minutes, then tossing in a tablespoon of melted butter or warm olive oil, a tablespoon of flaky sea salt, a tablespoon of light brown sugar, ½ a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a couple of tablespoons of finely chopped rosemary. Serve warmmmmmmm.
- Got a favourite sausage? Remove the casings from a few and form the mixture into mini patties or meatballs, fry until lightly browned and cooked through and serve on cocktail sticks with a chilli dipping sauce or some hot English mustard mixed with a little crème fraiche.
- Split and stone a Medjool date, put a small chunk of Parmesan inside, wrap in a bit of thin, streaky bacon or prosciutto, secure with a cocktail stick and bake for five minutes at 220C/450F/Gas mark 8, turn over and bake for five minutes more until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately.
- Crunchy, slightly bitter endive leaves make great ‘spoons’ to serve tasty morsels on. Some good additions are crab or shrimp salad, a dollop of ricotta with some toasted walnuts and raisins or a salad of tiny cubes of mango and chicken dressed in a splash of toasted sesame oil and lime juice and seasoned with coriander and a little finely chopped red chilli.
Debora Robertson is on the expert panel for Handpicked Collection. This is a website featuring inspiring gift ideas, including kitchen gifts, where everything featured has been vetted by an independent, expert panel of journalists, entrepreneurs and trendsetters aimed at giving customers the confidence to shop knowing that they’re getting something special. Debora is Associate Food Editor of Red Magazine.
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