Canapé

A canapé is a small, one-bite snack built on a base, such as toast, a cracker, a pastry case, or a slice of cucumber. It is topped with something savory and finished with a garnish. Canapés are passed around at parties and receptions, usually with drinks, before a meal or instead of one.

How to do it

1. Pick a base that stays crisp. Toasted bread rounds, crostini, small pastry shells and thick cucumber slices all work.
2. Add a spread that acts as glue and a seal, such as butter, cream cheese, or rillettes. It keeps the base from going soggy.
3. Add the main topping: smoked fish, cured meat, roast beef, egg, or a vegetable mix.
4. Finish with a herb leaf, a few fish eggs, or a dot of sauce. A piping bag makes neat dots and swirls.
5. Assemble no more than an hour or two before serving and keep them cold.

Plan about 4 to 6 pieces per person for an hour before dinner, and 10 to 12 per person when canapés are the whole meal.

Common mistakes

• Making them too big. A guest holding a drink should be able to eat one in a single bite.
• Wet toppings straight on bread. Without a fat layer between them, the base softens fast.
• Too many kinds. Four or five types, made well, are easier than twelve rushed ones.
• Leaving them out. Canapés with fish, meat, egg or dairy should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

In recipes

"Canapé" and "hors d'oeuvre" are often used for the same thing. Strictly, a canapé always sits on a base, while an hors d'oeuvre can be anything small, such as a skewer. Danish smørrebrød cut into small squares is a common Nordic canapé. An amuse-bouche is different: it is served at the table, one per person.

Where it comes from

Canapé is French for "sofa". The topping sits on the bread the way a person sits on a sofa.