Well, we’re in the thick of it now. Up to our elbows in wrapping paper, scrabbling to find the beginnings of the cellotape roll and getting ourselves tangled into knots along with the fairy lights. As the frenzy of present shopping begins to subside it’s time to turn our attention to the food preparation. With visitors dropping in unexpectedly it’s a good idea to have some stand-bys to hand so that you can very quickly whip up a tasty morsel or two to serve with the mince pies.
The inspiration for these canapes came from my annual trip to the Christmas Food & Wine Magazine Show in Dublin where Moloughney’s were one of the exhibitors. To say I was inspired is an understatement as what I have done is more or less replicated one of their offerings at the show.
I’ve used their spiced cranberries along with some locally sourced chicken liver pate and a home-made pickled cucumber to produce a very simple yet impressive looking canape. I picked up the chicken liver pate at Mahon Point Farmer’s Market last Thursday. This delicious free-range chicken liver pate is made by Flynn’s Kitchen and was an award winner at Blas na hEireann 2011.
Good quality pickled cucumbers are easy to pick up pre-made or you could use this simple Clodagh McKenna recipe to make your own. It should keep well for 3-4 weeks if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Pickled Cucumber:
You will need:
1 cucumber
1 onion
80g white sugar
250ml cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
Method:
Peel and very thinly slice the cucumber and the onion into a large bowl.
(I used a large dish (see picture) to ensure all cucumber and onion would be covered with the liquid)
Add the sugar, cider vinegar and salt and give it a stir.
Cover with cling-film and store overnight in the fridge.
Dispense into airtight containers, jam jars etc. and use within 3-4 weeks stored in the fridge.
Cranberry, Pate & Pickled Cucumber Christmas Canape:
You will need:
Thin crackers or toasts
Chicken liver pate
Pickled cucumber
Spiced cranberries or a regular cranberry sauce will work too
Method:
Spread some pate on the crackers and top with the pickled cucumber and spiced cranberries.
Simple & Delicious.
Enjoy.
Til next time, Sheila.