Canapés originated in France in the mid-1800s when a Chef created a new type of hors d’oeuvre by putting a savoury topping on a piece of bread or toast.
The topping was thought to sit on the bread like a person sitting on a sofa – hence the snack came to be called a ‘canapé’.
These delightful morsels really hit their straps in the 80s when any hostess with mostest wouldn’t be caught dead without a tasty selection of vol au vents, party pies and sausage rolls on her table.
As we take the reins of Melbourne Cup celebrations, here are five retro canapé recipes with a modern twist sure to get you past the winning post for party fare with flair:
Forget the prawn cocktail! Try this minimal-time-commitment recipe for poster prawns from Bec Vrana Dickinson. Make the prawn work for you. Use pre-cooked if that’s easier, go full entertainer on the barbeque, or just grill in the oven. Feeding less? Just halve the recipe. How breezy.
This recipe from St Hugo Chef Simon Hicks is a great way to use up leftover chicken to create a delicious entrée, light lunch or pre-dinner nibble. Terrines like this one will take all sorts of herbs and seasonings like truffle oil – experiment and season as you wish, then serve with your favourite chutney or dressing.
These little retro beauties have been around forever – but they are now easier than ever to put together. Simply, purchase ready-made pikelets from your local supermarket and top with crème fraiche mixed with horseradish, tabasco sauce and lemon juice, sliced smoked salmon and a sprinkle of mustard cress. Dill is also a popular herb to accompany these mouthfuls of goodness – watch them disappear off the plate!
Egg and smoked fish complement each other perfectly, especially when packaged up as a crisp, golden Scotch egg. This recipe uses smoked haddock and cod, but you can use any smoked fish that takes your fancy; deep fry the eggs two at a time for eight minutes for a perfect finish and serve warm with creamy tartar sauce.
A distinctly Australian take on the humble sausage roll and sauce from Miss Moneypenny's Noosa – using Brisbane Valley quail and a native bush tomato chutney, this is definitely the ultimate food you can eat with one hand.
