Three Wise Canapés
Smoked oysters, French onion dip and my first vol-au-vents...
I asked a simple question - canapés: do you give a shit? Most of you did, so I’m sharing these three recipes for simple but effective finger food that you don’t have to spend hours preparing. We have got a mix of hot and cold, fishy and vegetarian. Get Phil Spector’s Christmas album on. It's time for Three Wise Canapés.
What should a canapé be? Diddy: of course. Savoury - I think so. Rich enough to have you going back for more but not too salty that you get bumps on your tongue and need to drink gallons of water afterwards. I hope these Three Wise Canapés tick all the boxes. I can’t promise gold, frankincense or myrrh, but they are doing their best.
These are adaptable so if you don’t have puff pastry, use toasts! If you don’t like beetroot, use gherkins! You get my drift. All that matters is that you have a big hit of flavour and something creamy/saucy to hydrate the carby vehicle.
Grab your glass of fizz and come on in.
Smoked Oyster, Paprika and Mignonette Bites
These smoked oysters from The Tinned Fish Market are so delicious you don’t really need to do anything to them at all. But this canapé looks pretty and works a treat. If you don’t have time to order online, smoked oysters are available at many supermarkets.
1 tin smoked oysters or mussles
1/2 red onion
30ml white/red wine vinegar
30g cream cheese
Smoked paprika, to garnish
Crackers of your choosing (I used sourdough crackers)
Lemon to squeeze on top
An hour before you want to start, pickle your red onion in the mignonette method by thinly slicing it and tossing in the wine vinegar with a pinch of salt. When it turns a vibrant pink, get cracking!
Spread each cracker with a tea spoon of cream cheese, then top with a smoked oyster, drape a piece of red onion over and shower in a festive coating of smoked paprika. Repeat until all oysters are used up. Squeeze some lemon juice on top of each oyster just before you want to serve.
French Onion Dip Puffs
30g butter
2 brown onions, finely diced
100g cream cheese
3 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp onion powder
Thinly sliced chives, for garnish
1 small banana shallot, sliced, for garnish
Puff pastry, half a sheet
Start by caramelising your diced onions. Melt the butter and add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, on a low heat for half an hour. They will reduce by more than half. When they’re golden, add the onion powder.
Allow the onions to cool then mix the mayo, sour cream and cream cheese together and stir the onions through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cut out 12 squares from a block of pastry. Brush with eggwash or sour cream and cook in a 180ºc oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden and puffed up. Meanwhile, thinly slice one banana shallot and dry fry in a hot pan on both sides until crispy and well coloured. Turn the pan off.
Remove the pastry squares from the oven and using a teaspoon make a hole in the centre of each one. Fill the centre with the French onion tip then top each puff with a slice of crispy shallot and a sprinkling of chives. They’re ready!
NB: You could use crackers or square slices of toast, or even crinkle cut potato crisps, instead of puff pastry if you prefer. Layer the toppings in the same way.
You will have leftover French Onion Dip that will keep for 3 days. Refrigerate and enjoy with crisps at your leisure.
Smoked Mackerel and Beetroot Vol-au-vents
Are these actually vol-au-vents? I don’t really know. They’re my first attempt at the famous canapé so I hope they make the mark.
Pickled beetroot, thinly sliced (or thin slices of gherkin if you don’t like beetroot)
1 fillet of smoked mackerel, or smoked sardines, or smoked salmon
Sour cream
Puff pastry, half a sheet
Crackers black pepper
A little egg or sour cream to brush the pastry with
20g butter
To make your vol au vent cases, cut out a circle using a glass or a cookie cutter, then cut out another circle of the same size. Make this second circle into a border using a smaller glass or cookie cutter. Then sit this border pastry circle on top of the circle base. Repeat until all your pastry is used up. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Brush your pastry with egg wash then bake your vol-au-vent cases at 180ºc for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and brush with butter. When cool, fill each case with a dollop of sour cream, then some salt and pepper. Add a chunk of smoked fish fillet and arrange slices of the beetroot in a cross pattern, or in any pattern of your choosing on top. Season with a bit more cracked black pepper. You could garnish with dill if you have some. Enjoy!
If you want to upgrade your Three Wise Canapés to Four, I advise some devilled eggs, featured in last week’s newsletter. Serve all your canapés on your favourite plate or platter and raise a glass to you!
Thanks for sticking with What’s That You’re Cooking, Thea? through 2022. Have a wonderful Christmastime and a glorious New Year and see you in 2023!!!!!!