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Canapé Crash Course: Part 1

The Sol's product range has been carefully devised so that convenience, connection and celebration through food are always at the forefront of everything that we source and create. This series of recipes looks at a few fun ways that you can entertain your loved ones, starting with a crash course on canapés.
We have kept it simple, easy to follow and rustic. Although the purpose of these canapés is to offer up mouthfuls of flavour, we are going to make sure that they look fantastic as well.
The first three canapés we shall try are simply named as follows:
- Slow-roasted plum tomato on rosemary and sea salt crackers with St Francis of Ashisi
- Snowdrop camembert on melba toast with red onion and cabbage relish
- Croque monsieur made with sourdough, Jacana alpine cheese and Karoo pork coppa
Canapés need to fulfil the following requirements:
- Your guest should be able to devour them in one go, many people get this wrong and make big cumbersome things, creating great difficulty and mess.
- Canapés should hold their shape and one should only require a napkin to partake in the festivities.
- Following on from that, they should have some crunchy texture, great complementary flavours and some form of garnish.
Easy-peasy, as you will no doubt find as you continue on this journey.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine French, Mediterranean
Servings 12

Equipment

  • Chopping board
  • Sharp knife
  • bread knife
  • blowtorch (optional)
  • griddle pan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Sols slow-roasted plum tomato
  • 1 Sols red onion, cabbage and wine relish
  • 1 Sols rosemary and sea salt crackers
  • 1 Sols golden melba toast
  • 1 Sols Karoo pork coppa
  • 1 Sols Pan de Campagne, sourdough loaf
  • 200 g Jacana, alpine cheese, Kokerboom Kaas
  • 135 g Snowdrop, camembert cheese, Belnori
  • 175 g St Francis of Ashisi, hybrid cheese, Belnori
  • 20 g Cultured butter
  • Fresh garden herbs and edible flowers

Instructions
 

  • For your first canapé the direction is as follows: remove your slow-roasted tomato from its jar and let the oil drain off from them (this excess oil will make your canapés soggy which is no good, save it to one side for when you are needing some flavoured oil to make a dressing). Place the tomato onto your rosemary and sea salt crackers, on top of this place a generous slice of the St Francis of Ashisi. Garnish with some fresh herbs and that's 1 x world-class canapé ready (garnish in the accompanying picture is origanum and borage flower).
  • For the second canapé, very gently cut your pieces of melba toast down the middle, lay a generous slice of the camembert over each piece and lick gently with the flame of a blowtorch for colour and to melt the cheese ever so slightly. Quenelle a spoon of the red onion, cabbage and wine relish over the cheese. (garnish in the accompanying picture is fennel and pansies).
  • The last of the three canapés requires the longest prep time. Thinly slice the jacana cheese, cut slices of the sourdough and trim off the crusts so you have uniform lengths with which to work. Brush each side of the bread with a thin covering of butter, inside the "sandwich" create a layer of cheese, coppa and then cheese again. Flatten on your grill pan and give colour to both sides and then cut the finished product into bite-sized pieces. Remember this is a hot canapé and should be served warm and immediately (garnish in the accompanying picture is marigold flower).
Keyword bites, Canape, entertaining, host