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