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.
