The canapé issue
5 delicious recipes for hosting
Who doesn’t love a good canapé? Little powerhouses of deliciousness - great for feeding crowds when there’s standing room only, keeping the wolves at bay on Christmas day or as an easygoing stand-in for a starter. Here are five really great canapé ideas to see you through the festive season.
Parsnip & Parmesan croquettes
The ideal bite - a perfectly crisp exterior with a silky centre. The sweet parsnip tempers their cheesy savouriness - these are sure to be snaffled up in moments.
Recipe
Makes 35-40 pieces
For the croquettes:
320g peeled and roughly chopped parsnip (about 2 medium/large parsnips)
60g butter
100g flour
250g whole milk
75g parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
For the crumb:
2 tbsp flour
2 cups panko or good quality fine breadcrumbs
1-2 eggs, beaten
Splash milk
Neutral, high heat oil like vegetable for frying
To garnish:
40 sage leaves, picked (optional)
Olive oil
Parmesan
Place the parsnip in a pan covered with well with cold, salted water. Simmer until completely tender and drain. Pass through a ricer or mash well
Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter. When melted stir in the flour. Stir over a medium heat for 4-5 mins then stir in the milk, little by little until incorporated. Stir in the parsnip then turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan and season to taste
When the mixture is cool enough to handle roll into 20g balls. Roll each ball into the flour, then egg and milk mixture, then panko to coat. Place in the fridge to chill until needed
Fry the sage leaves - Cover a large frying pan very generously with olive oil and place over a medium heat. Add the sage leaves carefully and cook for 2-3 mins until no longer spitting. Do this in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan. Lift the leaves from the pan with a slotted turner and allow to drain on kitchen paper
Place a large, deep pan over a medium heat covered with oil so it will come up to at least two thirds of the height of the croquettes (or use a deep fryer). When the oil reaches 180c / 355F on a thermometer add the croquettes carefully to the pan (do this in batches not to overcrowd). Turn the croquettes as they cook. When golden on all sides remove from the oil, drain on kitchen paper and season
Serve the croquettes on a plate or platter and top with the crispy sage and extra Parmesan
Get Ahead: Make the croquettes up to two days in advance and store in the fridge (uncovered, or re-roll them in breadcrumbs before frying). You can fry them off up to a couple of hours before guests arrive and serve at room temp or warm in a low oven before serving.
Celeriac, stilton & apple
Little rounds of roasted celeriac make an ideal canapé base - this one channels the flavours of a Waldorf salad.
