New Year’s Eve Midnight Snack Platter
A trio of easy, showy bite-sized snacks — smoked salmon blinis, spiced lamb koftas with yoghurt dip and honeyed goat's-cheese crostini — perfect for midnight grazing.
Want something that looks like you’ve spent all day in the kitchen but took you under an hour? This Midnight Snack Platter is the answer: three effortless bite-sized treats that bring colour, crunch and a little indulgence to your New Year’s Eve grazing table.
Make the lemon-dill crème and goat’s-cheese mix in advance, then cook the koftas and warm the blinis at the last minute — guests can help themselves while you pour the bubbles. It’s party food that keeps the conversation flowing and the tiny plates full.
Ingredients
- 24 blinis — for the smoked salmon bites
- 200 g smoked salmon
- 100 ml double cream
- 1 lemon — zest and juice
- 10 g fresh dill
- black pepper — to taste
- 400 g minced lamb — for the lamb koftas
- 1 brown onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml ground coriander
- 15 g fresh parsley
- 150 g Greek yoghurt
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 ml sea salt — adjust to taste
- 1 baguette — about 250 g, sliced for crostini
- 150 g soft goat's cheese
- 30 ml honey
- 50 g walnuts — roughly chopped
- 10 g fresh thyme — leaves picked
Equipment
- frying pan
- grill or oven
- baking tray
- wooden skewers
- zester
Instructions
Make the lemon-dill crème: finely chop half the fresh dill, put into a small bowl with the double cream, zest of half the lemon and a generous crack of black pepper. Stir to combine and chill briefly while you continue (keeps for a few hours in the fridge).
Preheat the grill to hot. Slice the baguette into 1 cm slices, brush both sides very lightly with half the olive oil and arrange on a baking tray. Grill for 6–8 minutes until golden and crisp, turning once halfway.
Make the goat's-cheese topping: in a bowl, beat the soft goat's cheese with the remaining honey and the thyme leaves until spreadable; fold in most of the chopped walnuts, reserving a few for garnish.
Prepare the kofta mix: very finely chop the brown onion, 1 garlic clove and the fresh parsley. Put into a large bowl with the minced lamb, ground cumin, ground coriander, sea salt and a little olive oil. Mix with your hands until evenly combined and tacky, about 2–3 minutes.
Shape the koftas: divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and shape each into a small sausage around a short wooden skewer or leave loose if you prefer. Chill for 5 minutes on a plate if the mixture feels too soft.
Cook the koftas: heat a frying pan over a medium–high hob, add a little olive oil and fry the koftas for 8–10 minutes, turning regularly, until evenly browned and cooked through.
Make the yoghurt dip: finely mince the remaining garlic clove and chop a little parsley. Stir into the Greek yoghurt with the juice of the remaining half lemon and a pinch of sea salt.
Warm the blinis: place the blinis in a single layer on a baking tray and warm in an oven at 180°C fan/200°C conventional for 5 minutes so they’re just heated through.
Assemble the bites: top each warmed blini with a teaspoon of the lemon-dill crème and a small slice of smoked salmon; finish with a little fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon. Spread the goat's-cheese mix on the warm crostini, scatter the reserved walnuts and a few thyme leaves, then drizzle with a little extra honey.
Arrange everything on a large board: place the smoked salmon blinis, lamb kofta skewers with the yoghurt dip, and honeyed goat's-cheese crostini together. Scatter extra thyme, lemon wedges and the remaining walnuts for garnish. Serve immediately for best texture.
Tips
- Make the lemon-dill crème and goat's-cheese topping up to 4 hours ahead; keep chilled and assemble just before serving so textures stay bright.
- If the kofta mix feels sticky, chill it for 5–10 minutes — it firms up and is much easier to shape.
- Toast the baguette slices under close attention; once they’re golden they crisp up quickly and will stay crunchy under the goat’s cheese.
- Use a thermometer if unsure — small koftas should reach 70°C internal temperature to be safely cooked.
- To streamline service, lay out ingredients on the board in clusters (bites, dips, garnishes) so guests can grab and go.
Substitutions
minced lamb → minced beef or turkey, same quantity (400 g)
Stays closesmoked salmon → hot-smoked trout, same quantity (200 g)
Stays closesoft goat's cheese → cream cheese, same quantity (150 g) — milder flavour and creamier texture
Noticeably differentwalnuts → pistachios or flaked almonds, same quantity (50 g)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 750
- Calories
- 40 g
- Protein
- 65 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I prepare any of this the day before?
Yes — make the lemon-dill crème and the goat's-cheese topping up to 24 hours ahead and keep refrigerated. Shape the koftas ready on a tray, covered, and cook them just before serving.
How do I keep crostini crisp if I assemble early?
Don’t assemble crostini until just before serving. Keep toasted slices in a single layer at room temperature in a paper bag — they’ll stay crisp for an hour or two.
I need a vegetarian option — what should I swap?
Replace the lamb koftas with spiced halloumi or marinated mushroom skewers; they’ll grill quickly and pair nicely with the yoghurt dip.
How long will leftovers keep?
Store components separately in the fridge: cooked koftas and blinis for up to 2 days, goat's-cheese mix and lemon-dill crème for 3 days. Reheat koftas gently and warm blinis briefly before serving.
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