Canapes – recipes from ABC Evenings

From the ABC Evenings discussion last evening. To follow are recipes for Smoked Trout and Potato Slices, Spinach, Goat’s Cheese and Roasted Tomato Tarts, and a topping for Mushroom Bruschetta. There’s also a topping mixture for blinis.

As always, if you have any queries about the recipes, email me and I will get back to you very quickly.

Also, if there were other recipes discussed that you would like the recipe for, let me know and I will post them immediately.

Smoked Trout and Potato Slices

620g waxy potatoes, peeled weight

6 eggs

250ml cream

100ml sour cream

2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons lemon juice

¾ teaspoon salt (less if preferred)

¼ cup snipped chives

¼ cup chopped parsley

220g smoked trout

1½ cups grated tasty cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 140 degrees C (fan forced).

Grease a baking dish 18 x 20cm and line base and up the sides with baking paper, grease again.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for approximately 20 minutes or until just tender. Drain well and cool. Slice thinly.

Whisk the eggs with the cream, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and salt until well combined.

Layer the ingredients in the dish in the following order:

One third of the potato slices
Half the trout slices
Half the herbs
½ cup of the cheese
One third of the cream mixture

Repeat the layers and then finish with the last of the potatoes and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Drizzle with the remaining cream mixture.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes to set. Leave at least 30 minutes before lifting out and cutting into slices or squares to serve. Better still, refrigerate overnight.

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Spinach, Goats Cheese and Roasted Tomato Tarts

2 sheets ready rolled puff pastry, thawed

200g cherry tomatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil

120g silver beet or spinach, finely sliced

90ml milk

2 teaspoons cornflour

5 eggs, lightly whisked

¼ teaspoon salt, optional

2 spring onions, finely sliced

110g goat’s cheese

60g parmesan, finely grated

Method

Preheat oven to 200m degrees C. Place the tomatoes in an ovenproof dish and drizzle with the oil, adding a tiny sprinkle of salt, cracked black pepper and the tiniest amount of sugar.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened a little and the skin blisters. Set aside to cool.

Place the spinach or silver beet in a bowl and pour boiling water over, then leave to stand for 1 minute before draining in a colander and leaving to cool. Place on a paper towel and wring our excess liquid.

Whisk together the milk with the cornflour, then whisk in the eggs and salt. Stir in the spring onion and garlic.

Grease 12 x 50ml capacity tart tins or 12-hole muffin tin. Cut circles from the pastry to fit.

Distribute the goat’s cheese, tomatoes and blanched leaves evenly between the tart cases and then carefully pour the egg mixture over.

Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 150 degrees C and bake for 10 minutes more ot until set.

Leave to stand in the tins for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack.

Serve hot or cold.

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Mushroom Bruschetta Topping

This topping can be used on French breadstick slices, dried in oven as the base, or can be served as a pastry.

In the case of the latter (which is incidentally my favourite option), simply thaw 2 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry. Cut each into 16 squares. Place a teaspoonful of the mushroom mixture on top. Add a small halved cherry tomato if liked, sprinkle with parmesan and bake at 200 degrees C (fan forced) for approximately 15 minutes until puffed and golden.

The topping can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept refrigerated.

60g butter

60ml olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

I clove garlic, crushed

450g mushrooms, chopped

3 teaspoons dry Apera (formerly known as sherry)

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons cornflour mixed to a thin paste with ½ cup milk

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons lemon juice

¼ cup finely grated fresh Parmesan or tasty cheese

To garnish before baking

Cherry tomatoes, optional

1/2 cup, approximately freshly grated Parmesan or similar

Method

Heat butter and oil together over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.

Add the mushrooms and increase heat slightly. Stir to combine. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender, stirring often. Remove lid and cook 3 minutes more.

Add the Apera, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce and the cornflour mixture. Stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the herbs, lemon juice and ¼ cup Parmesan. Leave to cool completely.