Cocktails and Canapes

Will Holland’s recipes for mouthwatering canapes, perfect for entertaining friends or family at home, accompanied by our delicious cocktail ideas.

Serves 4 as a snack or nibble

Crispy Parmesan Risotto

  • 40g Shallots
  • 25g Unsalted butter
  • 125g Arborio rice
  • 350ml Water
  • 105g Grated parmesan
  • 100g Flour
  • 1 Egg
  • 75g Panko breadcrumbs

Finely chop the shallot. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the shallot. Sweat over a low heat until soft. Add the rice and water and cook over a medium heat stirring occasionally until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked. Remove from the heat and add the parmesan. Stir until the cheese has melted. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly milled black pepper. Transfer to a small tray, cover with clingfilm and place in the refrigerator to cool. When chilled roll into 20g balls. Take 3 small mixing bowls. Place the flour in one bowl, beat the egg in another and place the breadcrumbs in the final bowl. Firstly, toss all the risotto balls in the flour, followed by the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs. These can be stored in the fridge at this stage until required. When required preheat a deep fat fryer or tall saucepan of oil to 180°c. Fry the risotto balls for 2 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately with truffle mayonnaise.

Smoked Salmon with Potato Blini Pancakes

  • 2 Large Maris Piper potatoes
  • 15g Plain flour
  • 90g Crème fraiche
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 150g Smoked salmon
  • 30g Dill (1 small bunch)
  • 1 Lemon

Bake the potatoes in a preheated oven at 180° for 1 hour. Cut the baked potatoes in half, scoop out the flesh and pass through a fine sieve. Weigh 200g of the passed potato into a mixing bowl. Add 15g crème fraiche, the flour, egg and egg yolk. Mix well until smooth. Season with sea salt and cayenne pepper. Preheat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add a small amount of oil to the pan before placing teaspoonfuls of the pancake mix into the pan ensuring they don’t spread and touch. Fry over a medium heat for approximately 1 minute before turning and frying on the other side for another minute. Both sides should be golden brown. Remove the pancakes from the pan and allow to cool at room temperature. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining pancake mix. Dice the smoked salmon and place in a mixing bowl with the remaining crème fraiche. Finely chop the dill and add to the bowl along with the finely grated zest of the lemon. Mix well and season to taste with freshly milled black pepper. Spoon the smoked salmon mix on top of each pancake and serve immediately with dill sprigs.

Scotch Quail’s Eggs

  • 12 Quail’s eggs
  • 200g Sausage meat
  • 100g Plain flour
  • 1 Egg
  • 75g Panko breadcrumbs

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the quail’s eggs and boil for 2 minutes exactly. Remove from the boiling water and plunge into iced water. Peel the quail’s eggs. Weigh the sausage meat into 15g balls. Wrap each egg with 15g of sausage meat to completely encase each egg. Place in the refrigerator to allow the sausage meat to firm up. Take 3 small mixing bowls. Place the flour in one bowl, beat the egg in another and place the breadcrumbs in the final bowl. Firstly, toss all the eggs in the flour, followed by the beaten egg and finally the breadcrumbs. These can be stored in the fridge at this stage until required. When required preheat a deep fat fryer or tall saucepan of oil to 180°c. Fry the eggs for 2 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Cut each egg in half with a serrated knife and serve immediately with apple puree.

Ocean Drift

  • 25ml Peach Schnapps
  • 25ml Rum or Vodka of your choice
  • 10ml Lime Juice (approx. 1 lime)
  • 25ml Blue Curaçao
  • 60ml Apple Juice
  • Egg white from 2 eggs
  • To Garnish – Apple Slice and Juniper Berries

Pour the Peach Schnapps, Vodka/Rum and Lime Juice into a cocktail shaker followed by the Blue Curaçao, Apple Juice and egg whites. Add ice and shake, then strain into a large coupe or martini glass. To garnish, use a cookie cutter to cut a Christmas tree shape out of a slice of apple and place on the side of the glass. Float some juniper berries on top of the foam.

Winter Spirit

  • 20ml Disaronno
  • 30ml Brandy
  • 30ml Blackberry Liqueur
  • 50ml Blackberry Puree
  • To Garnish – Single Cream, Star Anise, Nutmeg, Dried Hibiscus Flowers or Rose Petals

Pour the Disaronno, Brandy, Blackberry Liqueur and Blackberry Puree into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake, then strain into a large coupe or martini glass. Pour the cream into a clean cocktail shaker and shake gently (without ice) until the cream has thickened slightly. Be careful not to over shake as the cream will become too solid. Gently pour the cream over the back of a spoon into the glass so it rests on top of the cocktail. Garnish with star anise, grated nutmeg and dried hibiscus flowers or rose petals.

Ruby Sunset

  • 50ml Vanilla Vodka
  • 50ml Cranberry Juice
  • 20ml Grenadine
  • 3 drops Angostura Orange Bitters
  • To Garnish – Maraschino Cherry and Orange Peel

Pour all the ingredients together into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake. Strain into a large martini glass. To garnish, add a maraschino cherry and a slice of orange peel. For an extra flourish, squeeze another strip of orange peel over the top of the glass to release the oils.

Sample menus