Top Fish for Christmas Canapes
Quick read (under 5 minutes)
For some reason when it comes to Christmas, there’s a lot of turkey talk but next to nothing about fish. Some sort of Victorian hangover, which we feel has got to stop. So, starting with the drinks party canapés here are our top seafood swaps so you too can have yourself a very merry Fishmas…
SCALLOPS IN BLANKETS
This year as a nation we’re predicted to consume a colossal 423 million pigs in blankets on Christmas Day alone. Popularised by Delia Smith in the 1990’s the old sausage wrapped in bacon trick has become a national staple. And while delicious, our pre-made scallops wrapped in Pipers Farm bacon, we feel stands as a pretty heavy-weight contender against the punchy porky dish.
Our neighbours at Pipers Farm are fast on track to becoming an institution for sustainable British meat, as they farm and sell food that has been produced with nature in mind.
In our eyes, their bacon is the perfect pairing for our day boat caught South Coast scallops which are landed and shucked right here in Brixham.
South Coast scallops tend to be smaller than the giant dinner-plate-sized variety you might see shipped down from places like Shetland or Orkney. Simply that's because our waters are that much warmer so the scallops don't naturally don’t grow quite so large. As a result, they have this delicate sweetness, that when paired with salty bacon will make you forget that sausage faster than a seagull can swipe a chip from a toddler.
This salty-sweet deliciousness is not actually a Rockfish invention (as much as we’d like to claim it to be!) Walk into London’s ancient fish market, Billingsgate, and above the gaggle of cockney voices that still ring loud across the market hall, you can smell the unmistakable scent of scallop and bacon butties frying for breakfast - a true East End classic.
CRAB THERMIDOR FONDUE
From the noisy East End market to the gold-gilded dinner plates of France’s aristocracy comes our take on the traditional Lobster Thermidor.
Our oven-ready Crab Thermidor is made using the most sensational South West brown crabs. The meat is picked, mixed with brandy, and cream and served in the shell with a Grana Padano and breadcrumb topping.
For a dish that was supposedly invented to impress Napoleon Bonaparte, our Crab Thermidor makes cooking up canapés fit for an Emperor as easy as turning on the oven.
Serve in the shell with hunks of fresh bread to dip.
SARDINE BITES
If simplicity is high on your agenda - which it often can be if you’re juggling being chief cocktail maker, Champagne cork-popper, and warm, charming host - then there is nothing simpler than cracking open a tin of fish.
Now, we’re not talking about some dusty old tin of pilchards you’d had earmarked for your cat. We mean our very own Rockfish tinned sardines. Inspired by the conservas of Spain and Portugal, where artisanal canneries treat seafood tinning as a highly skilled art from, our tinned seafood range uses quality ingredients to create a product that is instantly convenient yet mind bogglingly delicious.
Fat, succulent and buttery our Mount’s Bay Sardines are sustainably caught as part of the MSC certified sardine fishery. They’re then steamed, carefully laid individually in their tins and preserved in rich, thick, olive oil.
Mitch recommends serving on crackers with finely sliced red onion and topped with one or two rough chopped capers for a simple smile-inducing, finger-licking treat.
MONKFISH ON A ROSEMARY SKEWER
Almost lobster-like in texture, a monkfish makes a perfect pop in the mouth canapé. Their simple bone structure means their tail is easy to prepare and serve even to the most bone-fussy fish eaters.
Monkfish is one of those fish that was once destined for the cat food factory but gained popularity in the 1980s and has since reached dizzying gastronomical heights - often regarded as a prize fish by chefs and fish fanatics.
We love it, and you’ll regularly see it on our seasonal menu and our Online Seafood Market. A particular favourite as the MSC regards British-caught South Coast monkfish as the Best choice in their Good Fish Guide.
For fun Christmas finger food, we recommend monkfish cooked on rosemary skewers with a chunky salsa verde drizzled on top. Or if making salsa is a step too far, any cocktail party pro will delight in meaty monkfish nuggets dunked in our very own Cocktail Sauce.
TEENY-TINY FISHCAKES WITH OUR ROMESCO SAUCE DIP
For some reason, the pollack has spent a lifetime in the shadows of its big, fat, dopey cousin the cod. In the twentieth century, pollack became so unpopular that anglers would completely turn their nose up at it, only ever bringing one home to use as fertiliser on their veg patch.
Why this is, we don’t know. The pollack is firm, and juicy, with lovely white flakey flesh. Despite being caught in abundance all around the British Isles, we feel pollack never receive the plate time they deserve.
As a result, pollack can often be hard to come by in fishmongers or supermarkets. But if you can get hold of it (like on our Online Seafood Market) it’s a relatively affordable fish.
Anything you can make with a cod you can make with a pollack. Which is why we recommend bite-sizing our fishcake recipe for a cost-effective yet show-stopping canapé. Serve with some of our Romesco Sauce to dip, the fried fish with the rich Mediterranean flavours of roasted pepper, toasted almond, olive oil and balsamic will be enough to send even the most seasoned party guest home with turkey well and truly off the menu.
Quick read (under 5 minutes)
For some reason when it comes to Christmas, there’s a lot of turkey talk but next to nothing about fish. Some sort of Victorian hangover, which we feel has got to stop. So, starting with the drinks party canapés here are our top seafood swaps so you too can have yourself a very merry Fishmas…
SCALLOPS IN BLANKETS
This year as a nation we’re predicted to consume a colossal 423 million pigs in blankets on Christmas Day alone. Popularised by Delia Smith in the 1990’s the old sausage wrapped in bacon trick has become a national staple. And while delicious, our pre-made scallops wrapped in Pipers Farm bacon, we feel stands as a pretty heavy-weight contender against the punchy porky dish.
Our neighbours at Pipers Farm are fast on track to becoming an institution for sustainable British meat, as they farm and sell food that has been produced with nature in mind.
In our eyes, their bacon is the perfect pairing for our day boat caught South Coast scallops which are landed and shucked right here in Brixham.
South Coast scallops tend to be smaller than the giant dinner-plate-sized variety you might see shipped down from places like Shetland or Orkney. Simply that's because our waters are that much warmer so the scallops don't naturally don’t grow quite so large. As a result, they have this delicate sweetness, that when paired with salty bacon will make you forget that sausage faster than a seagull can swipe a chip from a toddler.
This salty-sweet deliciousness is not actually a Rockfish invention (as much as we’d like to claim it to be!) Walk into London’s ancient fish market, Billingsgate, and above the gaggle of cockney voices that still ring loud across the market hall, you can smell the unmistakable scent of scallop and bacon butties frying for breakfast - a true East End classic.
CRAB THERMIDOR FONDUE
From the noisy East End market to the gold-gilded dinner plates of France’s aristocracy comes our take on the traditional Lobster Thermidor.
Our oven-ready Crab Thermidor is made using the most sensational South West brown crabs. The meat is picked, mixed with brandy, and cream and served in the shell with a Grana Padano and breadcrumb topping.
For a dish that was supposedly invented to impress Napoleon Bonaparte, our Crab Thermidor makes cooking up canapés fit for an Emperor as easy as turning on the oven.
Serve in the shell with hunks of fresh bread to dip.
SARDINE BITES
If simplicity is high on your agenda - which it often can be if you’re juggling being chief cocktail maker, Champagne cork-popper, and warm, charming host - then there is nothing simpler than cracking open a tin of fish.
Now, we’re not talking about some dusty old tin of pilchards you’d had earmarked for your cat. We mean our very own Rockfish tinned sardines. Inspired by the conservas of Spain and Portugal, where artisanal canneries treat seafood tinning as a highly skilled art from, our tinned seafood range uses quality ingredients to create a product that is instantly convenient yet mind bogglingly delicious.
Fat, succulent and buttery our Mount’s Bay Sardines are sustainably caught as part of the MSC certified sardine fishery. They’re then steamed, carefully laid individually in their tins and preserved in rich, thick, olive oil.
Mitch recommends serving on crackers with finely sliced red onion and topped with one or two rough chopped capers for a simple smile-inducing, finger-licking treat.
MONKFISH ON A ROSEMARY SKEWER
Almost lobster-like in texture, a monkfish makes a perfect pop in the mouth canapé. Their simple bone structure means their tail is easy to prepare and serve even to the most bone-fussy fish eaters.
Monkfish is one of those fish that was once destined for the cat food factory but gained popularity in the 1980s and has since reached dizzying gastronomical heights - often regarded as a prize fish by chefs and fish fanatics.
We love it, and you’ll regularly see it on our seasonal menu and our Online Seafood Market. A particular favourite as the MSC regards British-caught South Coast monkfish as the Best choice in their Good Fish Guide.
For fun Christmas finger food, we recommend monkfish cooked on rosemary skewers with a chunky salsa verde drizzled on top. Or if making salsa is a step too far, any cocktail party pro will delight in meaty monkfish nuggets dunked in our very own Cocktail Sauce.
TEENY-TINY FISHCAKES WITH OUR ROMESCO SAUCE DIP
For some reason, the pollack has spent a lifetime in the shadows of its big, fat, dopey cousin the cod. In the twentieth century, pollack became so unpopular that anglers would completely turn their nose up at it, only ever bringing one home to use as fertiliser on their veg patch.
Why this is, we don’t know. The pollack is firm, and juicy, with lovely white flakey flesh. Despite being caught in abundance all around the British Isles, we feel pollack never receive the plate time they deserve.
As a result, pollack can often be hard to come by in fishmongers or supermarkets. But if you can get hold of it (like on our Online Seafood Market) it’s a relatively affordable fish.
Anything you can make with a cod you can make with a pollack. Which is why we recommend bite-sizing our fishcake recipe for a cost-effective yet show-stopping canapé. Serve with some of our Romesco Sauce to dip, the fried fish with the rich Mediterranean flavours of roasted pepper, toasted almond, olive oil and balsamic will be enough to send even the most seasoned party guest home with turkey well and truly off the menu.
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