Classic Salmon and Prawn Canapes

Devastatingly simple. Perfect for a celebration. Or when you want to feel glam for good (or no good) reason.

Today we got the keys to our new house! It’s taken over six months to complete the purchase, and we’ve been living in rented for the past nearly five years, so finally having our own place again feels like a moment we should celebrate - hence today’s foodie inspiration is celebratory and glamorous in nature!

This platter is my Christmas morning go-to, but they’re great anytime you need to feel a bit special. There’s no cooking involved, just making a couple of condiments and impactful presentation.

I buy the blinis because I can’t be arsed to make them, but if you’re more dedicated to the cause you could definitely make your own. The seafood is key, so this is where to spend your money. You can’t beat Brown and Forrest Smokery - based in Somerset but with online shop and delivery all over the UK. Proper good stuff. The prawns are just the big fancy ones from Tesco. Other supermarkets are available.

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I make two sauces. A classic marie-rose (mayo, ketchup, lemon juice with a bit of pepper - mix the mayo and ketchup until you get the shade of pink that you like best). The other is a dill cream cheese - so some Philadelphia or similar, plus finely chopped dill with a bit of seasoning. Personally I’d go full fat cream cheese for better flavour. And you can put other herbs into the cream cheese if you fancy - flat leaf or curly parsley, or chives would work just as well.

Then it’s an assembly job of blini + marie rose + prawn or blini + dill cream cheese + salmon - repeat until you’ve run out of stuff.

For impact, serve on a big platter. I think blue/white crockery sets off the pink colours nicely. To fancy it up a bit I use a combination of dill sprigs for greenery and lumpfish caviar for colour contrast and for salty umami. Despite being called caviar it’s cheap and available in the supermarket (usually near the fancy prawns).

As I have a salty palette I love nothing more than just spooning it out of the jar and eating it solo, so it sometimes doesn’t make it onto the blinis - but when it does, the glistening darkness looks fantastic against the pink of the prawns and salmon.

Now you need the fizz. If you’ve won the lottery recently (I remain ever hopeful on this front) then it’s a bottle of Krug. Otherwise, current favourite with me is a fabulous English producer called Hundred Hills in Oxfordshire, who supply Raymond Blanc and the gang at Le Manoir. I don’t think you can go wrong with that as a recommendation.

Waitrose also do a lovely own-brand blanc de blanc champagne (not the other one next to it which is also own brand but nowhere near as good). If you’re alcohol free or doing Dry January, Noughty’s the best one I’ve found.

Cheers!