Recipe: Canapes for all your party guests

Hosting a party this festive season and not sure if you’re catering for any guests with special dietary requirements? This easy canapes recipe by Anna Barnett for Denby has you covered.

“When you throw a dinner party it’s likely you will have to cater for lots of different diets. My cheat’s canapé recipe suits all sorts of eating habits – layer up ingredients to ensure gluten-free, vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters are happy.” – Anna Barnett

Easy canapes recipe

Serves: 16

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Filo pastry cups

40g frozen peas

40g broad beans

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

5 baby shallots – finely sliced into rings

1 sprig of thyme

100g pea shoots/ radish sprouts

generous sprinkle of sea salt flakes

several turns of freshly ground black pepper

VEGAN

50g fresh breadcrumbs

small bunch of parsley –leaves finely chopped

1 clove of garlic – crushed and finely chopped

generous glug of olive oil

VEGETARIAN

30g – feta – finely crumbled

MEAT

50g Chorizo – crumbled and fried

METHOD:

THE PASTRY CUPS – METHOD

Make filo pastry cases by cutting filo pastry into 2.5cm squares (if using a canapés mini cup mould) or make them 3.5cm if using a Yorkshire pudding tray. You’ll need between 3-4 squares per cup.

Using a pastry brush apply a thin layer of oil between each layer of pastry, slightly turning the square so each layer doesn’t sit exactly on top of the last. I like these to look quite rustic, plus you maximise crunch this way.

Once you’ve filled your tray play (I like to allow at least 6-8 small canapés per guest) place in a pre-heated oven on 180 degrees Celsius and bake for 5-6 minutes or until the cups become golden. Set to one side and allow cooling. These will keep for several days.

GLUTEN FREE FILLING

Defrost your peas by placing in a jug of boiling water then blitz with your broad beans, lemon juice, zest, oil and seasoning until you have a rough consistency. This will make up the bulk of your filling.

Next, warm a glug of oil in a frying pan and add your shallot rings and fresh thyme, cook over a medium to low heat until soft and sticky, add seasoning and set to one side.

Fill the pastry cups with a teaspoon of pea and broad beans mixture and top with the sticky thyme shallots and pea shoots, you can finish with an extra shaving of lemon zest, drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of seasoning.

VEGAN FILLING

Simply heat several glugs of oil in a frying pan, add in the breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley. Cook until golden over a medium to low heat then sprinkle over the pea shoots and shallots.

VEGETARIAN FILLING

Sprinkle on the finely crumbled feta.

MEAT FILLING

Crumble or roughly chop the nduja and place in a hot frying pan, frying over a high heat until crispy then simple sprinkle on top of the feta and serve while warm.

Anna Barnett has collaborated with Denby Pottery to help create ‘The Art of Entertaining’ trend report – which explores Brits’ modern-day dining habits. For more on The Art of Entertaining visit www.denby.co.uk/theartofentertaining.