Three Easy Canapés for a Crowd: Smoked Salmon Blinis, Goat's‑Cheese Tartlets & Halloumi Crostini
A trio of crowd‑pleasers you can mostly make ahead: smoky blinis, sweet onion tartlets and roasted aubergine crostini with halloumi.
Three simple canapés that look like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen but won’t leave you chained to the hob. They’re built from components you can mostly make ahead, then finish in a couple of hot minutes before guests arrive.
Make the caramelised onions and roast the veg earlier in the day, cook the blinis and halloumi close to serving, and you’ll look like a canapé wizard without the fudge. Perfect for drinks parties, birthdays or a fuss‑free Christmas starter.
Ingredients
- 200 g plain flour
- 5 ml baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 300 ml milk — whole or semi‑skimmed
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 200 g smoked salmon
- 150 g crème fraîche
- 1 lemon — zest and a little juice
- 15 g fresh dill
- 12 ready-made mini tart cases
- 200 g goat's cheese
- 1 brown onion — medium, for caramelising
- 75 ml olive oil — total for roasting, brushing and cooking
- 15 ml brown sugar
- 15 ml balsamic vinegar
- 10 g fresh thyme
- 1 baguette — about 300 g
- 1 aubergine — medium
- 2 red pepper
- 250 g halloumi
- 1 clove garlic — finely chopped
- 15 g fresh basil
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
Equipment
- baking tray/tin
- grill rack
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional and position a rack in the middle. This will be used for the roasted aubergine and peppers.
Prepare the aubergine and peppers: cut the aubergine into 1 cm slices and the red peppers into strips. Toss on a baking tray with 2 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Roast on the preheated rack until tender and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.
While the veg roast, caramelise the onion: thinly slice the brown onion and cook in 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over low–medium heat. Stir occasionally until deep golden and sticky, about 25 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar for the final 2 minutes and a pinch of sea salt.
Make the blini batter: whisk plain flour and baking powder with a pinch of sea salt, then beat in the eggs and gradually add the milk until smooth. Don’t overmix — a few small lumps are fine. Leave the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat with a little vegetable oil. Cook spoonfuls of batter (about 1 tbsp per blini) in batches: 1–2 minutes per side until puffed and golden. For 12 blinis, expect roughly 36 minutes of total cooking time spread across batches. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Assemble the blinis: top each warm blini with a small spoonful of crème fraîche, a folded piece of smoked salmon, a little lemon zest and a sprig of fresh dill. Finish with a crack of black pepper.
Slice the baguette into 12 diagonal slices, brush both sides lightly with olive oil and toast under the hot grill until golden, about 6 minutes turning once.
Cut the halloumi into 12 thin slabs, brush with a little olive oil and grill for 2 minutes per side until golden and slightly charred. Keep warm.
Finish the roasted veg: if you roasted peppers whole, peel the skins and discard; if sliced, simply leave as is. Chop the aubergine and peppers into bite‑sized pieces, toss with the finely chopped garlic, torn fresh basil and a little olive oil, then spoon onto the toasted baguette slices and top each with a piece of grilled halloumi. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Assemble the tartlets: spoon the warm caramelised onion into the ready‑made mini tart cases, crumble goat’s cheese on top and scatter with fresh thyme. Bake on a tray at 180°C fan/200°C conventional for 10 minutes until the cheese is warmed through and edges are golden.
Arrange the three canapé types on boards: blinis garnished with extra dill and a squeeze of lemon, tartlets finished with a thyme sprig, and aubergine–halloumi crostini scattered with basil. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Caramelise onions in a wide pan and keep the heat low — patience gives deep flavour, rushing it gives bitterness.
- Make the caramelised onions and roasted veg up to 48 hours ahead and refrigerate; warm them briefly before assembling.
- Keep components separate for longer storage: toast and store bread in a loose tea towel to keep crisp, assemble crostini at the last minute.
- If you need to speed up, use store‑bought mini blinis instead of making batter.
- To transport, place tartlets in a shallow box with a sheet of kitchen paper between layers to prevent sliding.
Substitutions
smoked salmon → cooked, chilled prawns or crayfish tails (use same weight)
Noticeably differentgoat's cheese → soft cream cheese (full‑fat), same quantity
Stays closebaguette → gluten‑free baguette or slices of toasted polenta
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 418
- Calories
- 20 g
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 850 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make these entirely ahead of time?
Make caramelised onions and roast the veg up to 48 hours ahead; keep blinis, toast and halloumi separate and assemble within a couple of hours of serving for best texture.
How do I keep bread from going soggy under toppings?
Toast the bread well and brush sparingly with oil. Assemble crostini just before serving so the toast stays crisp under the warm veg and halloumi.
Can I freeze any of the components?
You can freeze cooked blinis and thaw them gently then reheat on a griddle. Caramelised onions freeze well; roasted peppers and aubergine become softer after freezing, so only do this if texture isn’t crucial.
How do I scale this up for a larger party?
Multiply ingredients in proportion and work in batches — the caramelised onions and veg can be done in large trays, but blinis and halloumi should be cooked just before serving in manageable batches.
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