Canapés Canapés are the most elemental of appetisers: nothing more, but nothing less, than thin slices of bread, topped with a variety of spreads and ingredients. More a concept than an actual recipe, I think of canapés as bite-size canvas to play with colours and pairings, using whatever is on hand and in season. Favourite flavour combinations include:

• Shavings of sheep’s milk cheese (such as Ossau-Iraty or Pecorino Romano) + Spanish air-dried chorizo + flat-leaf parsley

• Onion confit + smoked duck breast + chopped walnuts

• Diced tomatoes + marinated anchovies

• Crème fraîche + raw salmon + dill

• Butter + sardines + chervil

• Monkfish liver (available from gourmet food shops and used straight from the can) + thinly sliced spring onions + a drop of lemon juice

• A plump jarred snail + a drizzle of beurre d’escargot (butter melted with garlic and flat-leaf parsley)

• Fresh cheese + tapenade + cherry tomatoes

• Goat cheese + toasted pine nuts + a drizzle of honey

• Sheep’s milk cheese + black cherry jam

• Pistachio pesto + slow-roasted tomatoes.

To figure out how much of each ingredient you should use on your canapés, assemble one, taste it, and adjust the quantities. A strenuous, thankless job, I know, but somebody has to do it.