Those of you who know me well, know I have a secret passion …Louis Vuitton, champagne…oh, the list goes on. It’s bizarrely for canapés, I just love those wonderful little concoctions that you can eat in one bite at drinks parties, or before a lovely dinner. Call it an amuse bouche and frankly, I’m anybody’s! I am truly in heaven when at one of those lovely restaurants where chef sends out a little amuse bouche just before your main course, or a palate tickler as I like to think of it. Small bites of paradise.
So enough of my secret sausage on a stick vice, last Sunday we were having the lovely neighbours round for drinks, so I took the opportunity to unleash the cocktail sticks. To follow are some unbelievably easy canapé recipes, plus I rolled out Joyce’s lovely cream cheese concoction which is always a winner. (See “Joyce takes a dip…and it’s a cream cheese one” under Everyday Grub)
New potatoes stuffed with smoked salmon: You will need the smallest new potatoes you can find, just roast them with groundnut oil and sea salt for about 20 minutes, Gas Mark 6/200C or 180 Fan. Allow them to cool and then using the end of a vegetable peeler, scoop out a little hollow in each one. Just before serving fill them with sour cream, a little smoked salmon and a tiny bit of caviar (real or faux depending on your budget!). These are also really good with crumbled crispy bacon instead of smoked salmon.
Chilli Prawn and Mango Skewers: Throw some ready cooked prawns in to some lime juice (about 2 limes) , with about 1 inch of grated ginger, a chopped red chilli (take out the seeds) and a small bunch of chopped coriander, with a crushed clove of garlic and leave for a couple of hours.
Thread them on cocktail sticks with a chunk of sweet mango and then pour the rest of the marinade on top and serve.
Meatballs with Chilli Jam or minted yogurt: Take 500g minced beef or lamb and mix with 3 flat teaspoons of ground coriander and ground cumin. Add a tablespoon each of chopped coriander and fresh rosemary and some salt and pepper. Combine together with one large egg and roll into small meatballs. Insert a small cube of feta cheese in to the centre of each one, making sure that the meat covers it completely. Place a tablespoon of sunflower oil in to a hot frying pan, and fry the meatballs for about 15 minutes until browned and well-cooked. Either serve straight away, or allow to cool and then place in an ovenproof dish at 180/160 fan Gas Mark 4 for 15 minutes and serve with a dish of either chilli jelly or yogurt mixed with fresh mint.
Then to finish, some lovely sweet ones . Strawberries with a Chocolate Dip: All you need is strawberries and a jar of chocolate spread. If you want to be really clever, swirl some melted white chocolate in it, or mix it with a little malibu. So simple, but everyone thinks you’re so clever. My kind of cooking!
The Bombay Boys 
