Christmas canapés recipes

Canapé recipes

Partridge, Shitake, Crispy Chicken Skin and Madeira Jam

Quantities:
• 100g shitake mushrooms
• 200ml white wine vinegar
• 200g sugar
• 200ml water
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, juniper, coriander seed, mustard seed
• 100g bacon
• 2 white onions
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 clove black garlic
• 100ml madeira
• 2 partridge breasts
• 4 chicken thighs
• Balsamic vinegar, salt, butter & soy sauce

Method:
• Begin by toasting off the aromatics in a dry pan until fragrant. Then, bring the sugar water, white wine vinegar and a touch of soy up to a boil. Add the aromatics into the pickle and let it cool. Finally, slice the shitake mushrooms and add into the pickle. Set this to the side for later.

• Roughly chop the bacon and fry in a pan until the fat is crispy. Follow this with finely sliced onions, thyme, black garlic, sugar, and rosemary. Cook on a very low heat for at least an hour until the sugars begin to caramelise. Finally, add the madeira and season with a touch balsamic vinegar and salt to taste.

• For the crispy skin, remove the skin from the chicken thighs and spread it across baking paper. Season with salt, place another sheet of baking paper over the top, and then sandwich this between two trays. Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes or until a deep, golden colour.

• Flash fry the partridge breast in a smoking pan at 55 degrees. Once coloured, baste with butter, garlic and thyme, and continue cooking until tender. Once done, let it rest.

• To assemble, snap off a section of chicken skin and place a teaspoon of jam on top, followed by the partridge and mushrooms. Garnish with some shaved, raw chestnut mushrooms and nasturtium leaves.

Venison, Caramelised Cauliflower, Shallot and Hazelnut

Quantities:
• 300g venison loin
• Thyme, rosemary, clove, black peppercorn, star anise
• ½ head of cauliflower
• 300ml cream
• 200ml white wine vinegar
• 100g butter
• 50g hazelnuts
• Shallots
• 200g sugar

Method:
• Trim any sinew and unwanted fat from the venison loin. Additionally, you can also create a spice rub before cooking. To do this, cover the venison in mustard and then roll in a spice rub consisting of thyme, rosemary, clove, and black pepper.

• Seal the meat in a pan with a touch of oil. The aim is to colour the outside without cooking all the way through to the centre.

• Wrap the venison tightly in cling film and place inside the freezer to firm up.

• Add a splash of oil to a saucepan and bring to a medium/high heat. Add the cauliflower but do not stir or move it, this will allow for a deep caramelization to form on the outside. Once a deep brown crust has formed all over, lower the heat, and add your cream, along with a good pinch of salt.

• Allow the cauliflower to simmer at a low temperature until thickened and the cream turns caramelised in colour.

• Blitz the cauliflower and cream until smooth.

• Heat the butter in a frying pan until it is brown and foaming. Lightly toast the nuts in the butter and then roast them further in the oven for 10 minutes at 160 degrees. Season with salt.

• For the puree, add equal parts sugar, vinegar and water to a pot and bring to a boil along with any Christmassy aromatics (clove, star anise etc.) Once this had cooled, add the thinly sliced shallots to pickle slightly.

• To assemble, take the venison out of the freezer and thinly slice. Top each slice with a teaspoon of the puree and arrange the shallots and hazelnuts on top. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves to finish.

Trout Ceviche, Crispy Seaweed

Quantities:
• 2 fillets of trout (pin boned)
• 1 shallot
• 1 grapefruit
• ½ fennel bulb
• 1 granny smith apple
• Handful of dill
• 25ml lemon juice
• 25ml lime juice
• 25g honey
• 50ml oil
• 1 nori sheet
• 2 pieces of rice paper
• Salt
• Furikake (optional)

Method:
• Start by removing the skin from the trout fillets and dicing into small chunks, removing any bones. Set to the side when done.

• Next, dice the shallot, apple, fennel, and grapefruit into small pieces. Follow this by finely chopping the dill.

• For the dressing, mix the lemon and lime juice together before adding the honey and some salt. Then, gradually trickle in the oil whilst continuing to whisk. Once done, set aside.

• For the crispy seaweed cracker, simply sandwich the nori sheet between two pieces of rice paper. Wet the rice paper slightly and firmly press against the nori. Once combined, cut the paper into bite-sized rectangles.

• Heat a pan of shallow oil to 180 degrees and place the nori pieces in one at a time. Once the paper stops bubbling and is crispy on both sides, remove from the pan and season with salt.

• Finally, combine the dressing, trout and finely diced ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Leave to sit for 5 minutes and season accordingly.

• To serve, take a cracker and place a heaped spoonful of the mixture on top. Optionally, you can also season with a pinch of furikake.