For an appetiser that is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, turn to my Smoked Salmon Canapés. This simple party idea is certain to become a favourite as the canapés are quickly and easily prepared from readily available ingredients. For easy entertaining, add this recipe to your repertoire.
12sliceswhite or wholemeal sandwich bread - thinly slicedSee Notes 1 and 2
¼cup(60 ml) extra virgin olive oil - or olive oil spray
Sauce:
¼cup(60 ml) mayonnaise - good quality whole egg
¼cup(60 ml) sour cream - full fat
1 ½teaspoonprepared horseradish - or to taste
1tablespoonfresh dill - finely choppedSee Note 3
black pepper - freshly ground
Toppings:
150g(5.2 oz) smoked salmonSee Note 4
2teaspoonbaby capers
dill sprigs - for garnish
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180 Degrees C (355 F).
Use a sharp knife to remove the crusts from 12 slices of bread. Using a rolling pin, roll each bread slice to flatten as thinly as possible. With a 6 cm/2 ½” round cookie cutter, cut 2 rounds from each slice.
Brush the bread rounds on both sides with olive oil or spray each side with olive oil. Firmly press the bread rounds into two 12-hole patty pan tins or into a muffin tin. See Note 5.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning pans halfway through cooking until the cases are lightly browned.Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, prepared horseradish, dill and black pepper in a small bowl. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more horseradish, pepper or dill as required.
Cut smoked salmon slices into small strips. Arrange folds of salmon in each bread case.
Spoon about a teaspoon of sauce onto the salmon. Top with a sprig of dill and a couple of baby capers. Serve immediately. See Note 6.
Notes
Bread:although the bread does not have to be completely fresh, it must not be dry as it will be difficult to roll.
Leftover bread: use the trimmed crusts and pieces of bread to make breadcrumbs. Store in the freezer in ziplock bags or freezer-safe containers.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Salmon: I have used slices of cold smoked salmon.
Patty pan tin: I have used a patty pan tin. This is a baking tin suitable for cupcakes or tartlets, such as mince pies. It has small, round, individual indentations, with rounded bases. However, you can also use a mini muffin tin to make small cases. As well, you can use a ⅓ cup muffin tin but may need to cut the bread slightly larger to fill the base of the tin.
Make-ahead: for easy entertaining you can make the bread cases up to 3 days ahead. Store the bread cases in an airtight container. You can make the filling a day ahead. Cover then refrigerate. It is best to not fill the cases too far in advance as the filling will cause the cases to soften.