20 November

Top Tips for the Perfect Party Canapés by Create Food & Party Design

Create’s menu designer Lulu Jones-Fenleigh caught up with us to share her top 10 canapés for the winter season – the perfect way to start sensational Christmas parties!

Lulu Jones-Fenleigh said: “When we’re creating canapes, the most important thing is that they must taste delicious, but there are a couple of other things we bear in mind. We try and make the colours as vibrant as possible. Tiny touches of green, like baby cress and foraged herbs always help in deep mid-winter. They look lovely against deep purple beetroot and orange squashes, and really lift a plainer background like white cheese.

It’s also important for a good canapé to have interesting textures too – after all, you only have one mouthful to impress. This could be anything from crumbs to croutes, dehydrated tomato flakes or popping candy. If you are serving a smooth canapé like our goat’s cheese pannacotta, then a couple of simple additions like a parma ham wafer or a peashoot curl can transform it into something really exciting.”

Choose from heartier options such as bubble and squeak cakes or keep things light with cold canapés like Create’s blood orange cured salmon – you’ll be spoilt for choice with our top 10:

 

HOT

confit beef cheek and cashel blue beignet

topped with beetroot puree and baby parsley

bubble and squeak cakes

topped with pulled chicken, cheddar cream and pickled cranberry

celeriac and white stilton twice baked soufflé (v)

with kale pesto and baby cress

 

COLD

blood orange cured salmon

on homemade pikelets, with fennel cream and fennel fronds

sloe gin cured scallops

on buckwheat blinis with orange sour cream and baby coriander

pheasant, chestnut, thyme and quails egg gala pie

with caramelised apple puree and winter herbs

 

SWEET

tiffin tart

dark chocolate, candied cherries, brandied raisins and spiced orange mascarpone in all butter pastry

blackberry and apple meringue pie

with hazelnut and cinnamon meringue

toffee apple sponge

with cinder toffee crumbs and toffee cream

blood orange meringue kisses

with hazelnut praline and dried cranberry

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