Christmas Canapes
The party season is firmly in swing and it’s that time of year when a few tasty bite-sized treats are called for.
Whether you are having few friends over for drinks or would like some canapes to kick off Christmas dinner in style, these delicious morsels will get your guests taste buds tingling over the holiday period.
This year’s selection includes Beef Brisket Chilli with Sour Cream and Jalapeno, Cream Cauliflower with Truffle Oil and Beetroot and Cheddar Bites with Spicy Pimento Sauce and Parma Ham.
All the recipes can be made up to 3 days in advance and assembled just before your guests arrive.
You will need 1 quantity of Shortcrust Pastry for 60 mini-tart cases. Each of these recipes will make at least 60 canapes.
Beef Brisket Chilli with Sour Cream and Jalapeno
Method
Slice the onions. Gently heat the oil in a large heatproof casserole. Sweat the onions on a low heat with a pinch of salt under a wetted greaseproof cartouche for 15 minutes until they are soft. Add the garlic, spices and tomato puree for the last 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the brisket into large pieces, dry with kitchen roll and season with salt. In a large frying pan, heat the oil a tablespoon at a time and brown the brisket in batches. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.
When all the meat is browned, pour off any excess fat from the frying pan and deglaze with the red wine and stock. Use a spoon to get all the meat flavour from the bottom of the pan.
Pour the wine and stock from the frying pan into the casserole. Bring it up to the boil and add the browned meat.
Cover and place in an oven at 150c/130c Fan/Gas Mark 2 for 3 - 3 1/2 hours. Check every now and again to make sure it is bubbling on a low simmer and hasn’t dried out.
The brisket is ready when you can pull it apart easily using spoons.
Strain the brisket over a a bowl. Return the liquid to the pan. Taste and reduce it until you have the flavour you want. If the sauce is too thin, you can whisk in 1 - 2 teaspoons of plain flour mixed with butter a spoon at a time to thicken it.
Leave to cool.
When ready to assemble the canapes, fill a mini tart case with the brisket chilli, top with half a teaspoon of sour cream and a sprig of coriander.
The brisket can made up to 3 days ahead or frozen for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
1kg beef brisket
3 onions finely sliced
1 clove garlic crushed
3 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp brown sugar
300ml red wine
300ml brown chicken stock
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
300ml sour cream
100g pickled jalapenos
1 bunch fresh coriander
Creamed Cauliflower with White Truffle Oil and Beetroot
Method
Gently heat 20g of the butter. Add the chopped onions and pinch of salt. Sweat for 15 minutes under a wetted piece of greasproof paper.
Prepare the cauliflower by removing the hard stalks and cutting the florets into similar sizes. Add to pan with the sweated onions and cover with the milk - add more milk if necessary. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes until the cauliflower is soft.
Strain off the liquid and puree the cauliflower in a blender with the remaining butter until the cauliflower is completely smooth. You may need to add a spoonful of milk but use as little as possible to maintain the thickness.
Taste and season. Leave to cool.
Meanwhile, slice the beetroot into 2-3 mm thick pieces and use the end of a piping nozzle to cut out small circles.
Lay them out on a piece of kitchen towel to get rid of excess liquid or they will ‘bleed’ into the creamed cauliflower.
Finely chop the chives.
When you are ready to serve, fill each mini tart case with Creamed Cauliflower and top with 3 pieces of beetroot, a few drops of truffle oil and the chopped chives.
The Creamed Cauliflower will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
30g unsalted butter
1/2 onion finely chopped
1/2 large head of cauliflower
300ml - 400ml whole milk
1-2 tbsps of white truffle oil
Salt and ground white pepper
4 steamed beetroot
1 bunch chives
Cheddar Bites with Spicy Pimento Sauce and Parma Ham
Method
To make the Spicy Pimento Sauce, gently heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped shallot with a pinch of salt until it is softened but not brown. Add the garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper and cook for another minute.
Drain the peppers and roughly chop. Add to the softened shallot and spices. Cook for 2 minutes to bring the flavours together and turn off the heat.
Blend the shallot and pepper mixture until it is smooth. Taste and season. Set the mixture in a sieve over a bowl as it cools let any excess moisture drain away. This will stop it running when you assemble your canapes.
To make the Cheddar Bites, put the flours, butters and salt into a food processor and pulse until it starts to ball up and form a dough. Tip out onto a floured surface and knead briefly to bring it together.
Form the dough into a disc, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll out to about 2mm thick and cut into small shapes of your choosing. Think bite size when you are selecting your cutter.
Place the cut out shapes on a baking sheet and cover with cling film. Chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Bake at 200c/180c Fan/Gas Mark 6 for 12-15 minutes. They should be golden brown, break easily and have no grey dough inside when they are ready.
Cool on a wire rack and store in an air tight container until you are ready to use them.
To assemble the canapes, spoon a small amount of the Spicy Pimento Sauce onto a Cheesy Bite. Tear a strip of parma ham, roll it up and place it on top of the sauce. Top with a garnish of Greek Basil.
The Cheesy Bites and Pimento Sauce will keep for up 3 days in an airtight container and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
1 eschalion or banana shallot finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove crushed
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
175g jar pimento peppers
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
75g plain flour
75g wholemeal flour
100g mild cheddar, grated
125g chilled butter, cubed
A pinch of salt
A bunch of Greek basil
2oog Parma Ham
