GLUTEN-FREE TUNA BUTTER AND PICKLED CARROT ON CRISPBREAD
Here’s a dainty looking canapé for your next drinks party. It’s made by putting together lots of fabulous flavours.
One of the good things about this Tuna Butter and Pickled Carrot on Crispbread recipe is that the three components can be made well in advance, and, handily, can be used separately in many different ways.
Delicious, colourful and gluten-free - the perfect mouthful.
Caren
TUNA BUTTER AND PICKLED CARROT ON CRISPBREAD
Makes 40 canapés
The 3 components of this canapé can be made well ahead of time.
ZOE’S WALNUT CRISPBREAD
Makes 40-50 crackers depending on size
100 gm walnuts
60 gm flaxseed meal
50 gm almond meal
1 whole egg
Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Place walnuts, flaxseed and almond meals in a food processor and process until fine-ish. Add the egg and process until well combined.
Using half the dough at a time, roll out between two pieces of baking paper to around 2mm thick. Use a 3.5cm round cookie cutter and carefully place rounds onto a prepared baking tray. Repeat with remaining dough. Gather up leftover dough pieces and reform to roll out as above. If the dough becomes too sticky then refrigerate for a few minutes.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until brown and crisp. Different sizes and shapes may require different cooking times.
(If you intend the crackers to accompany the tuna butter when presented as a dip then simply cut into 3cm x 6cm rectangles. Bake for 20 minutes or until brown and crisp.)
Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place.
Leftover crackers will keep for up to a month. If you choose to bake fewer than 40-50 crackers the remaining dough freezes well too.
CARROT PICKLES
Make at least 3 days ahead.
3-4 carrots
4 small red shallots
1 tablespoon salt
200 ml brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
Have at the ready a sterilized glass jar of about 600ml capacity.
Peel and trim the carrots. Carefully slice into 2-3mm thick rounds with a sharp knife. Place in a non-reactive bowl.
Peel and trim the shallots, keeping the root end intact, then quarter lengthwise. Add to the carrots then stir through the salt. Set aside for 20 minutes. Rinse the vegetables to remove the salt then place in the jar.
Gently heat the vinegar, sugar and soy sauce. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
Pour the pickling liquid over the vegetables. Cool, seal and set aside in the pantry. After 3 days the pickles will be ready.
Use a clean fork or tongs to remove the pickles. Refrigerate after first using.
The recipe makes more pickles than required for the 40 canapés but they will last for several weeks in the fridge.
TUNA BUTTER
Makes about 620gm
2 185gm tins of tuna in olive oil
250 gm unsalted butter, room temperature, chopped
4 anchovy fillets
1 lemon, zest and some of the juice
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
Sea salt and ground white pepper to taste
Chives for decoration
Drain the tuna and retain the oil separately. Place the tuna in a food processor with the butter, anchovies, zest and parsley. Blend until smooth.
Add some lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Blend again. Add some of the reserved oil if too thick. Adjust seasoning again.
Take half the mixture and spoon it onto a long piece of baking paper and form into a 3cm x 30cm long roll. Twist the paper ends to secure the roll then wrap in cling wrap or foil and refrigerate. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
(If using the mixture as a dip simply refrigerate in a bowl until required.)
TO ASSEMBLE:
Take 40 carrot slices out of the pickling liquid and pat dry with kitchen paper. Use a 2cm star cookie cutter, or other shaped cutter, to cut the carrot slices into decorative shapes, optional.
Place the crackers on a serving platter.
Slice the tuna butter rolls into 1.5cm thick slices. (A small round cutter could then be used to make exact circles of tuna butter if you desire a more exact look.)
Place tuna rounds on the crackers. (Leftover tuna butter can be refrigerated for other purposes.)
Top with a pickled carrot shape and a small piece of chive.
TIPS:
We’ve chosen to assemble these tasty recipes into one mouthful but you might like to present them in bowls for your guests to make their own.
All the above recipes can be doubled or halved to suit your requirements.