I made these canapes for a house event at university. My housemates all brought their boyfriends, and we had a civilised ‘house roast’ made with my parents’ home-grown pork.
Before I go any further, I should point out that I love cooking. That’s in case you haven’t worked out that much already. I love the whole process of designing a recipe, experimenting on the go, and producing something I can be proud of. I love this even more if I can do 4 or 5 different recipes all at once so I can bustle around the kitchen looking busy!
Although canapes aren’t really the norm before a roast, especially at uni, especially with my housemates (who, lets face it, have seen me in every possible terrible state and are well beyond needing to be impressed), it’ll be no surprise that I decided to make some anyway! In all fairness, a roast with 6 veg and pudding just isn’t enough work for one girl, especially one with a willing KP!
We made the canapes on a ‘foraged’ theme. The idea was that at least part of each one should be something we picked up in the wild. I should point out that we did actually break this rule- we weren’t confident enough in our mushroom identification to risk poisoning innocent bystanders, so we bought some dried mixed wild mushrooms.
Salmon and Yarrow Tartlets
– Smoked salmon
– Yarrow (see notes on foraging)
– Cream cheese
– Shortcrust pastry (pre-made is fine but it’s not hard to make!)
Alternatively, try with puff pastry for a lighter bite!
- First, cut the pastry into small squares. Bear in mind they will rise in the oven so they need to be smaller than bitesize! Ours were no more than an inch squared.
- Bake them in the oven according to your recipe instructions.
- Finely chop most of the yarrow, being sure to leave some for a topping
- Thinly slice the smoked salmon.
- Place a dollop of cream cheese onto the pastry squares and spread to the edges. Place a thin layer of chopped yarrow on top, followed by a fold of the salmon and a sprig of the yarrow to top. Easy!
Wild Mushroom Tartlets
– Wild mushrooms, either dried or picked (please be careful!!!)
– Shortcrust pastry
– Chestnut mushrooms (1 or 2 to bulk out the rest!)
– Cream or Creme Fraiche
– White wine
- Rehydrate any dried mushrooms and chop chestnut mushrooms to thin slices
- Fill mince pie tin with shortcrust pastry, pressing into dish shapes. Bake blind.
- Fry the chestnut mushrooms and wild mushrooms together.
- Season and add cream/creme fraiche and a splash of white wine. Reduce to a sticky sauce.
- Fill the tartlets with the mushroom sauce. You can return to the oven to reheat if you wish.
Docs Stuffed with Spicy Rice
– Rice (any but risotto rice is best)
– Tomato
– Red pepper
– Dock leaves- at least 4 per person
- Make the spicy rice. I made this like a salsa with a bit of extra chilli sauce, but actually any filling you like will do here!
- Boil the docks in salted water for a couple of minutes. They should go soft like spinach does.
- Lay the docks out VERY GENTLY to cool down. They are at their most fragile right now!
- Once cool, lay them on a plate or chopping board and place two teaspoons of the rice mixture inside. The dock can then be rolled up and served cold or reheated in an oven or microwave to serve warm.
- You do not need all the dock leaves, 2-3 per person is fine, but I know how easy they are to break beyond use!
Nettle Bruschetta with Olive and Proscuitto
– A large carrier bag full of nettles
– A few slices of proscuitto
– A couple of olives, sliced widthways
– French bread, sliced thinly
– Onion, garlic, seasoning
- First, toast the bread slices in a warm oven or grill, then allow to cool. Ours took about 5 mins but it depends on the temperature of your oven!
- Wash the nettles well to remove all grit and dirt, then place in a pan of boiling water for a few minutes. The nettles will lose their sting and turn to spinach.
- Fry the finely chopped onion and garlic in a pan with some olive oil. Add the drained chopped-nettle paste
- Season the paste to taste. You can add a few mashed olives here, or a tiny bit of anchovy paste.
- Put the paste onto the cooled bruschetta and add the proscuitto and sliced olive to top!
Living Frugal 