Party canape recipes

Pink grapefruit, prawn and coconut salad by Gastronomy

Makes 40 canapés

Ingredients

1 bunch mint, leaves picked

100g cashews, toasted

50g coconut flakes, toasted

3 small green chillies, seeds discarded, finely chopped

10g fresh ginger, finely grated

1 green shallots

1 bunch coriander, leaves picked, stalks discarded

1/2 cup snow pea shoot leaves, roughly chopped

50g crispy fried shallots

6 medium fresh cooked prawns, peeled

3 pink grapefruit, peeled, flesh cut from each segment and then cut into three

60g Thai caramel

Thai caramel

1 small green chilli

1 thin slice dried or fresh galangal

125g pale palm sugar

25ml water

25ml fish sauce

25ml tamarind puree

Method

To make the Thai caramel, pound together the green chilli and galangal in a mortar and pestle, or use a spice grinder. Break up palm sugar into a small saucepan, add the water and heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved and slightly thickened. Stir in fish sauce and tamarind puree. Add chilli and galangal, simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat to cool.

To make the canapés, roughly tear the mint leaves and add to a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, except the grapefruit and prawns. Add 3 tablespoons caramel and toss together well. Taste the salad to test for seasoning. Slice each prawn into 6 slices, slightly diagonally. Place salad mixture on little Chinese spoons and on serving platters. Top each spoon with a piece of prawn and then a piece of grapefruit. Transfer any remaining caramel in a jar and store in refrigerator for up to one month.

Quacking good parfait cones from Bright Young Things

The merging and mixing of sweet and savoury and what is interpreted as a dessert – or as a canapé – says 'there is nothing ordinary about this party'. Assemble hours before the party and store in the refrigerator, but add the toffee shards only 1 hour before.

Makes 60

Ingredients

1 cup castor sugar

1.5 kg duck or chicken liver parfait

120 grams pistachios, finely chopped (salted, if liked)

200g jar quality Seville orange marmalade

60 baby bought waffle cones

Method

To make toffee chards for decorating, stir together sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan over low heat. Once sugar is dissolved, bring to the boil and simmer without stirring for six minutes or until golden brown. Pour toffee onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread very thinly. Once completely cool, break into fine shards.

When ready to assemble, place parfait in piping bag. Pipe a small amount of parfait into each cone – before doing a middle layer of marmalade (1/4 - ½ teaspoon). Top with more parfait so it looks like a rounded scoop of ice cream. Finish cones with a sprinkle of pistachio and toffee shards. Use test tube holders to keep cones upright.

Betel juice canapés from Bright Young Things

Cured trout and pomelo betel leaves with coconut, finger lime and chilli jam

Makes 60

Ingredients

600 grams cured ocean trout, finely diced

Juice of three limes

125g chilli jam

1/2 bunch coriander, finely chopped

1 pink grapefruit, cut into small segments

250g shredded coconut (lightly toasted)

6 finger limes, scoop out flesh

60 betel leaves, washed

50g salmon pearls (caviar)

250g fried shallots

Method

Combine cured trout, lime juice, chilli jam, coriander, pink grapefruit, coconut and finger lime together in a bowl when ready to serve (the grapefruit will immediately start to “cook” the trout).

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top betel leaves with trout mix, and finish with salmon caviar and fried shallots. Serve on platters.

Garden herbs and lemon punch by Trolley'd

A citrusy do-ahead cocktail made using herbs from the garden. Start this recipe a day ahead.

Ingredients
6-8 large lemons, peeled (reserve peel)

250g caster sugar

bouquet of herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, lemon myrtle

700ml gin, chilled in freezer

1.5 litres soda water, chilled

wood sorrel flowers or oregano leaves, to serve

Method
Place lemon peel in a shallow bowl and cover with caster sugar, leave overnight, or at least 2 hours. Boil 300ml water and add all herbs, leave to steep 30 mins. Juice and strain lemons to get 300ml juice. Combine lemon-infused sugar (discard rind), herb tea and lemon juice and stir until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until ready to serve. When guests arrive mix the first bowl: In a punch bowl combine chilled herb lemon base and chilled gin. Charge with soda water. Add 1-2 cups ice, then top up with more ice later so it doesn't get watered down. Add to glasses a few wood sorrel flowers or oregano leaves, and let guests help themselves to punch.