Wednesday, October 14, 2009

#195 Canapes a la Creme

The entrée for the dinner party. It’s one of those recipes that I’ve never got round to because – frankly – it’s never really seemed that interesting and a bit of a rigmarole to produce (there quite a few of these!). Grigson says that they are “[a] fine mixture of hot, rich, piquant and cold.” I don’t really know why this recipe is in English Food, I’m sure that there are other canapés in book Savouries à la Mode by Mrs de Salis she could’ve nabbed. Perhaps she chose this one because the ingredients are quite English. Anyways, here is the method, if you want to try and make some for yourself:

Cut some white bread in centimetre thick slices. Cut out circles and fry them in butter. Grigson doesn’t say how large they should be – I used a highball glass. Next put anchovy fillets on each slice – she says three, but that seemed excessive to me for the size of fried bread I'd cut out, so just added one. Finally add a spoonful of cold clotted cream to each canapé and serve straight away.

The canapes in production


#195 Canapés à la Crème. 3/10. They weren’t vile – all of the ingredients that go to produce this are among my favourite foods – they were just odd and uninspiring. There was not too much fattiness from the fried bread and cream, and the anchovies were too much (it’s a good job I didn’t add three!). I think they could’ve been improved if a cream cheese or crème fraiche mixed with chives as suggested on the night had been used rather than clotted cream. Still, they were easier to make than I thought – particularly when I had my army of sous chefs with me! Cheers guys.

6 comments:

  1. Not too much fattiness! I thought they were a fat explosion. I was dying for some lemon juice here. I think creme fraiche is an excellent idea.

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  2. oopsey! that was actually a typo there. It should've said "there was TOO MUCH fattiness...". that'll teach me for not proofing properly

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  3. They were not as disgusting as you might think, but the heaviness of the bread, the saltiness of the anchovies and the sweet creaminess of the clotted cream didn't really work together. Especially the cream. I swear I could feel it at the back of my throat for a good half hour afterwards. I vote 3.5/10

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  4. Bleeurgh clotted cream... 3/10!
    XX

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  5. These were just wierd. All the ingredients are great, but not together. Never again. 1/10

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