6. Squeeze the meat out of the sausage skins into a bowl and discard the skins. Put some flour, the egg and breadcrumbs into three separate small bowls.
2. Divide the sausage meat into 12 equal portions. With lightly floured hands, form a portion into a patty about 6.5cm (2½in) across in the palm of one hand. Put a boiled quails’ egg in the middle, then shape the meat around it. Set aside on a board and repeat with the remaining eggs and sausage meat.
3. Dip the covered eggs in flour, tap off the excess, then dip in the beaten egg and coat in breadcrumbs.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the coated eggs and fry, turning regularly, until golden on each side (in batches if necessary). Transfer to a baking tray.
5. Cook the eggs in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature (sliced in half, if you like) with sea salt flakes and mustard.
Hard-boil the quails’ eggs up to 2 days ahead. Cool and peel, then cover and chill. Complete the recipe up to a day ahead (if needed). Cool and chill. Allow to come up to room temperature, or warm in the oven, preheated to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4, for 5–10 minutes before serving.
For ease, buy pre-cooked and peeled quails’ eggs, or hard-boil your own in simmering water for 3–4 minutes. Cool and peel.
These impressive bites will be the talk of the party!
Makes 12 canapés
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 5 minutes
Oil, to grease
12 quails’ eggs
3 standard thin-cut white bread slices
1 tbsp mayonnaise or ready-made hollandaise
2–3 ham slices, cooked
Per canapé 41 cals, 2g protein, 2g fat (0g saturates), 3g carbs (0g total sugars), 0g fibre
1. Bring a medium pan quarter-filled with water to a simmer. Grease a lipped baking tray with oil, then put the tray on top of the pan to heat up. Carefully crack all the quails’ eggs into a bowl, then gently pour the eggs into the hot tray, moving the yolks so they are not touching one another. The steam will cook the eggs in 3–5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toast the bread slices. Use a 3.5cm (1½in) round cutter to stamp out 12 circles of toast. Top each circle with a dab of mayonnaise or hollandaise. Next, stamp out ham circles with the same cutter and put one circle on each toast stack.
3. When the egg whites are cooked (and the yolks are still soft), lift the tray off the pan. Use the cutter to stamp around each yolk and use a palette knife to transfer the egg circles to the stacks. Crack over some black pepper and serve.
These are best made fresh, but will sit happily for 30 minutes once assembled.
Smoked Trout and Beetroot Hummus Tortilla Cups
The smokey flavour of the trout works wonderfully with the earthiness of the beetroot hummus.
Makes 24 canapés
Hands-on time: 25 minutes, plus cooling
Cooking time: about 10 minutes
3 large flour tortilla wraps
½ tbsp olive oil
FOR THE FILLING
100g (3½oz) cooked beetroots (not in vinegar)
125g (4oz) cooked chickpeas (from a tin)
Finely grated zest and juice ½ lemon
1 small garlic clove
1 tbsp creamed horseradish
25ml (1fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
100g (3½oz) smoked trout, skin removed, fish flaked
TO GARNISH (optional)
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Per canapé 38 cals, 2g protein, 2g fat (0g saturates), 4g carbs (1g total sugars), 1g fibre
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Stack the tortilla wraps and use a round cutter roughly 5.5cm (2¼in) across to stamp out eight circles (so you have 24 in total). Brush the circles with oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and press each firmly into a 24-hole mini muffin tin. Cook in the oven for 5–8 minutes until crisp and golden. Allow to cool in the tin.
2. Meanwhile, make the beetroot hummus. Whizz the beetroots in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas, lemon zest and juice, garlic and horseradish, and whizz until smooth. With the motor running, gradually add the olive oil until smooth and blended. Season to taste.
3. To serve, fill the cooled tortilla cups with beetroot hummus, top with the flaked smoked trout and a grinding of black pepper. Garnish with dill and pumpkin seeds, if using.
Store unfilled cooled tortilla cups in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Make the beetroot hummus up to 3 days ahead; cover and chill. Assemble up to 1 hour ahead, and keep loosely covered in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them.
Warning – these cheesy morsels are addictive.
Makes about 18 canapés
Hands-on time: 20 minutes, plus chilling and cooling
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
60g (2½oz) vegetarian Dolcelatte, at room temperature
Half a 320g sheet all-butter puff pastry (the sheet should be halved lengthways)
Per canapé 47 cals, 1g protein, 4g fat (2g saturates), 3g carbs (0g total sugars), 0g fibre
1. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and set aside. Beat the Dolcelatte in a bowl until smooth and easily spreadable.
2. With a long edge of the pastry in front of you, spread the Dolcelatte over the pastry (a spatula is best for this). Cut lengthways in half to make two strips.
3. Cut the strips into triangles (alternating tips pointing up and down) – each triangle with a base about 4cm (1½in) long. You should get nine triangles from each strip. Roll the first triangle up from base to tip and bend ends in slightly to make a crescent shape. Place tip down on the prepared sheet (so it doesn’t unravel). Repeat with remaining triangles, spacing apart on the sheets. Chill for 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark