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Cheat's Canapés
by Annie Reid. Illustrated by Emily
Faccini
The
last place you want to be before hosting your own Christmas party is in
a hot steamy kitchen. You should be spending the last few hours applying
a relaxing face mask or returning from a successful shopping trip to find
the ‘perfect’ pair of shoes. The supermarkets do a decent
job of making you look like a diva in the kitchen but unless you can somehow
dishevel the food to make it look more homemade, everyone will know they’re
not the real thing. So, you’ll be pleased to hear that these canapés
are delicious and, what’s more, take no time at all to prepare.
In fact they are so simple you can even recruit the children while you
turn your mind to the all-important drinks preparation.
POLENTA, CHEESE AND SUNDRIED TOMATO
1 pack ready-to-mix polenta.
Mix with boiling water and lay on tray.
Bake in hot oven (175C) for 10 minutes.
Drizzle some olive oil and allow to cool.
Then cut the cheese (brie works well) and polenta into equal-sized square.
You can buy or make your own dried cherry tomatoes.
Fix together with a cocktail stick.
MINI ROAST BEEF AND YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS
Buy the cases from Tescos and cook as per instructions.
Fill cases with a mixture of horseradish and crème fraiche (to
taste) and thinly-cut roast beef.
BLINIS WITH SMOKED SALMON AND LUMPFISH CAVIAR
Mini blinis are available from most supermarkets.
Toast for a minute or two each side, being careful not to burn them.
On top you can put any of the following combinations, usually in this
order.
Smoked salmon/trout, finely chopped onion, crème fraiche/soured
cream, finely chopped hardboiled egg, a dab more crème fraiche/soured
cream and lumpfish caviar (John West
is fine - from any supermarket).
PUFF PASTRY WITH TOMATOS AND OLIVES
Buy ready-rolled puff pastry, a good tomato sauce and finely chop some
olives.
Cut the pastry into 5cm circles.
Place the tomato sauce and the olives in the centre and brush the outside
rim with olive oil.
Cook in oven (170C) for 10 mintues or until brown.
GRISSINI WRAPPED IN PARMA HAM
Exactly that - delicious.
MOZZERELLA, CHERRY TOMATO & BASIL
Buy blocks of mozzeralla and cut into squares the size of a cherry tomato.
Assemble the cheese, tomato and basil onto a cocktail stick and, once
arranged on the
serving plate, drizzle over some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
MINI SAUSAGES - ubiquitous but indispensable
with mustard and honey – don’t add the honey mixture until
5 minutes before
the end otherwise it will burn.
WINES AND CHAMPAGNE FOR CHRISTMAS
Christmas is a great excuse to try out some new wines and Champagne.
Bibendum
offers up a stunning choice to challenge the tastebuds. We bet they’ll
win your approval.
Prosecco Brut ‘Crede’ Bisol, 2003
£9.97 a bottle / £119.70 per case
A light and delicious alternative to Champagne, Prosecco is now the aperitif
of choice for many discerning fizz fans. Notes of apple and pear on the
nose are matched by ripe fruits on the palate, and the wine is perfectly
balanced. As Steven Spurrier of Decanter Magazine says, it boasts ‘freshness
and lightness on the palate and enough fruit complexity to make a refill
a pleasure’.
Macon Solutre ‘Clos les Bertillones’
Robert Denogent, 2002
£9.20 / £110.45
One for the mince pies - this gorgeous Macon is a prime contender for
our best value white, and certainly you won’t find a better White
Burgundy at this price anywhere else, we guarantee. Great minerality and
style at a cracking price.
Chateau
Sainte Colombe Cotes de Castillon, 2000
£12.63 / £151.57
From the celebrated millennium vintage in Bordeaux, this is a gloriously
drinkable red at a really reasonable price. A real favourite amongst Bibendum
customers, it will stand up to the richest meat dishes this winter with
style and panache.
Stonier Pinot Noir, 2003
£10.70 / £128.45
From one of Australia’s best producers of Pinot, a wine to rival
the best that Burgundy can produce. Fresh raspberry and strawberry notes
flow into a succulently fruity palate and a very moreish finish. One for
the Beef Wellington!
Bibendum has a dedicated private client team to cover all of your wine needs. Please contact them to help you choose from our great selection of over 1,000 new and old world wines, from £4 to £1,000 a bottle.
Tel: 020 7449 4120 or email
to place or discuss an order.
First published in angels & urchins, Christmas 2004