RENCRAFT AT HOME

Festive Canapés

Festive Nibbles by The Needy Greedy

We were delighted to welcome The Needy Greedy AKA Charlotte Butterworth and photographer, David Merewether to our Tunbridge Wells showrooms in November, where Charlotte created three delicious recipes for The Wealden Times which we are also pleased to share with you below, including:

Hot Smoked Trout in Filo Cups

Smoked Stilton Shortbread with Beetroot Purée, Caramelised Red Onions, Roasted Grapes & Thyme

Prawn, Avocado, Coriander and Lime Mini Tortillas

Charlotte is a private caterer, cookery teacher and recipe creator and runs cookery workshops and teaches individuals in her lovely home, helping people rediscover their culinary mojo with new ideas for delicious, healthy and easy meals for everyday and entertaining.

She creates fabulous food for everything from intimate dinners and family celebrations to drinks parties and corporate events. Charlotte trained as a cordon bleu cook, but has developed her own signature style of using lots of vegetables, big flavours and love of Mediterranean style cooking.

Find Charlotte on Instagram and Facebook sharing her delicious recipes as @theneedy.greedy or contact her at charlotte@butterworth.co.uk of more information about catering or teaching.

The Needy Greedy Christmas Recipes
Hot Smoked Trout in Filo Cups Kent Needy Greedy

Hot Smoked Trout in Filo Cups

“I love using the award-winning products from this local artisan producer. I was lucky enough to visit the smokery and see the process myself, and the skill and care that goes into it. I came away with a gorgeous smell of oak smoke in my hair! The shop is also packed with carefully sourced artisan foods and it’s a wonderful place to do your Christmas shopping.” – Charlotte 

Smoked trout recipe Weald Smokery Kent

Ingredients

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Serves: 24

 

For the smoked trout filling:

175g hot smoked trout fillets

1tsp horseradish

1 lemon

2tbsp crème fraîche

black pepper and fresh dill

 

For the filo cups:

1 pack ready made filo pastry

50g butter, melted

 

Hot Smoked Trout in Filo Cups Recipe Kent Needy Greedy

Method

For the filling:

(The filling can be made a few hours in advance.)

  1. Mix the crème fraîche, horseradish, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice into a bowl.
  2. Flake in the smoked trout and mix.
  3. Add a little chopped dill. Taste, season, and if needed add more lemon, horseradish etc.

For the filo cups:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

  1. Open the filo and cover with a damp cloth. Take 1 piece, brush generously with melted butter, and fold like a book, so it is triple layered.
  2. Using a pastry cutter, cut circles and place into the muffin tray. Continue until you have 24 (you will likely have some sheets left over, just keep in the fridge).
  3.  Bake for 6-8 mins or until golden.
  4. Allow to cool on a wire rack. These will store for a few days in an air tight container.

To assemble (up to 30 minutes before serving):

  1. Fill the cups with the smoked trout mix.
  2. Top with some fresh dill, a little lemon zest and black pepper.
Hot Smoked Trout in Filo Cups Recipe Kent Needy Greedy

The Needy Greedy's Top Tip

The ‘hot’ in the smoked trout in this recipe refers to the smoking process. I used trout from the wonderful Weald Smokery in Flimwell, where whole fillets of rainbow trout are hot smoked over local oak logs producing a firm flesh and a subtle smoky taste, rich in healthy Omega-3. This delicate flavour creates a wonderful canapé that can be prepared well in advance and just needs to be assembled before serving.

Tip: If you don’t want to make the filo cups, then mini Croustades (by Rahms) are a brilliant alternative, and means this canapé can be put together in just a few minutes.

Needy Greedy Christmas Canapés Stilton Cranberry

Smoked Stilton Shortbread with Beetroot Purée, Caramelised Red Onions, Roasted Grapes & Thyme

“This is a taste sensation – a cheese board in one canapé. However, if you don’t want to do all the toppings, simply make the Stilton shortbread to eat on their own or with a little onion relish and crumbled Stilton. They keep for 3 days stored in an airtight container. I have used the incredible smoked Stilton from Weald Smokery. This takes these crumbly mouthfuls of heaven to the next level, but this works well with any Stilton. Great to use any leftovers from a cheese board at Christmas!” – Charlotte

Kent Stilton Recipe Needy Greedy

Ingredients

Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Serves: 30

 

For the biscuits:

60g wholewheat flour

65g plain flour

1tsp soft brown sugar

½tsp cayenne pepper

100g cubed cold butter

20g grated Parmesan

100g crumbled smoked Stilton plus extra for garnishing if needed (you can use ordinary Stilton)

poppy seeds, to edge

 

For the beetroot layer:

3 fresh beetroot – washed, topped and tailed and cut into wedges

40ml fresh cream (whipped) or crème fraîche

 

For the roasted grapes:

30 red grapes

1tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1tbsp olive oil

1tsp thyme

 

Extras:

fresh thyme

caramelised onion chutney

extra Stilton

Kent Stilton Recipe Needy Greedy
Stilton, Beetroot and Grape Starter Recipe

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

To make the biscuits:

  1. Tip the flours, sugar, cayenne, salt and pepper in the food processor to mix. Then add the cold butter, blitz again to mix. Finally add the cheeses and pulse in the food processor until a dough is formed.
  2. Pull the dough together with your hands then shape into a long sausage shape about 4cm in diameter. Spread the poppy seeds over a sheet of non-stick baking parchment and roll the Stilton log so that it is covered in the seeds. Wrap the paper around the log and tightly seal by twisting at each end to form a cracker. Chill for 1 hour or longer.
  3. When ready to cook, preheat the one to 180°C. Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Slice the chilled dough into 1-2cm rings and place on the lined trays with room for them to spread a little. Bake for 10-15mins until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

For the beetroot:

  1. Roast the beetroot wedges in the oven at 180°C with plenty of olive oil and seasoning for 40 mins until tender.
  2. Blitz to make a purée and mix with the cream. Taste and season. This purée will keep for a couple of days in the fridge.

For the grapes:

  1. Roast the grapes at 160°C in a roasting tin with the oil, vinegar and thyme for 20-30 minutes until soft but not collapsed. These will keep in the fridge for a day.

To assemble:

  1. Spread a thin layer of beetroot over each biscuit, top with a third of a tsp of caramelised onion chutney, pop on a grape, scatter over some extra Stilton and fresh thyme, if you have. This can be done up to an hour in advance of serving.
Prawn and Avocado Christmas Starter Recipe Needy Greedy

Prawn, Avocado, Coriander and Lime Mini Tortillas

“I love the fresh zingy flavours of this dish! Coriander, prawn and lime is a match made in heaven. The creamy avocado and crunchy tortilla are a perfect supporting act for the show-stopping prawns. All the elements can be made in advance, quickly assembled just before your guests arrive.” – Charlotte

Prawn and Avocado Christmas Starter Recipe Needy Greedy Kent

Ingredients

Prep time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Total time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Serves: 24

 

24 cooked, peeled king or tiger prawns

1 garlic clove, crushed

1tsp Chiu Chow Chilli oil or fresh chopped red chilli (adjust to your spice tolerance!)

1tsp caster sugar

½ small red onion, finely chopped

2 limes

3 tortilla wraps

olive oil

2 ripe avocados

1tbsp finely chopped coriander, plus extra to garnish

Prawn and Avocado Christmas Starter Recipe Needy Greedy Kent
Prawn and Avocado Christmas Starter Recipe Needy Greedy

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

For the prawns:

  1. Mix the garlic, chilli, sugar, red onion and the juice of a lime. Add the prawns, then cover and chill for 3 hours, or ideally overnight.

For the tortillas:

  1.  Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Using a pastry cutter, stamp about 24 circles of approx 2cm from the tortillas. Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush with the oil.
  2. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until crisp and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and pop on a baking rack to cool (this can be done the day before and stored in an airtight container).
  3. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the avocado and squash with a fork, season to taste.
  4. Just before serving, season the marinated prawns and mix in chopped coriander.
  5. Up to 30 mins before serving, assemble the tortillas by spreading a teaspoon of the avocado mixture on each base, then top each with a prawn or two.
  6. Give it all a good squeeze of lime! Garnish with a sprig of coriander and serve.
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