Canapes or Toast

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1-quart (1-liter) saucepan
• •8-inch (20 cm) skillet
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Rimmed broiler-safe sheet pan
• •Flexible silicone spatula
• •Two teaspoons for shaping

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the Béchamel

   Melt 1 teaspoon butter in the smallest saucepan you own over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the roux foams but takes no colour. Add ¼ cup (60 ml) of the milk in three additions, whisking each one smooth before the next, then simmer gently for 2 minutes. The Béchamel, the white roux sauce, should be smooth and thick enough to hold the trace of the whisk. If it lumps, take it off the heat and whisk hard, then press it through the fine-mesh sieve. Do not discard it. Ça se rattrape.

   A broad pan makes this tiny quantity evaporate before it becomes a sauce. Use a 1-quart (1-liter) saucepan or smaller.
2. 2

   Poach and sieve haddock

   Put the water and haddock in a small pan and bring them just below a simmer. Lower the heat and poach for 4 to 5 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and separates into moist flakes. Drain it, remove the skin and any remaining bones, then rub the warm fish through the fine-mesh sieve. Beat in the Béchamel and 2 teaspoons softened butter until the purée is smooth and holds a soft mound. If it spreads, stir it over low heat for a minute; if it is stiff, loosen it with reserved milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.

3. 3

   Prepare the cold fish

   Split each anchovy fillet lengthwise into two narrow strips. Lift the skin from the sardines, open each fish along its natural seam, and remove the backbone to make 6 neat fillets. Separate the smoked salmon into 6 thin slices and fold each loosely upon itself. Keep all three garnishes cool while the warm preparations are finished.

4. 4

   Scramble the eggs

   Beat the eggs with the salt and white pepper just until the yolks and whites join. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over low heat, add the eggs, and stir continuously with a flexible spatula, scraping the floor and corners. Pull the pan from the heat whenever the curds form too quickly. Stop when the eggs are softly set, glossy, and free of raw liquid, then stir in 1 tablespoon cream. If they tighten before you can assemble, beat in the optional teaspoon of cold cream off the heat. They will soften again.

5. 5

   Ready the bases

   Heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches (15 cm) below the element. Arrange 12 freshly prepared Canapés and Toast (No. 316) on a broiler-safe sheet pan and place the other 18 on the serving platter. Work while their butter still glistens and the crumb remains supple. If they have cooled but are still tender, warm them briefly before topping; do not toast them a second time or they will dry through.

6. 6

   Glaze the warm canapés

   Set rounded spoonfuls of scrambled egg upon 6 Canapés and Toast (No. 316), then make 6 matching domes of haddock purée. Sprinkle both kinds lightly with Parmesan. Broil for 30 to 60 seconds, just until the cheese melts and freckles gold. Watch without moving away. This glazing is a finish, not a second cooking; remove individual pieces with a spatula if they colour before their neighbours.

7. 7

   Top and serve

   Cross two narrow anchovy strips into a simple lattice on each of 6 Canapés and Toast (No. 316). Lay the sardine fillets lengthwise on 6 more, then settle the smoked salmon folds on the final 6. Mix the warm and cold varieties across the platter without regimenting them, and serve immediately while the toast is tender, the eggs are soft, and the glazed purées still gleam. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Here, haddock means smoked haddock. Taste the finished purée before adding any salt, because curing varies and the fish, Parmesan, anchovies, and sardines already bring plenty.
• •Use unsalted butter throughout. Butter is the cushion between toast and garnish, but salt must remain under your control when nearly every topping comes from the cured-fish larder.
• •The book's other variations follow the same grammar. Grill kippers or bloaters and sieve them as for haddock; use grilled sprats as you would sardines; or bind finely chopped smoked tongue or ham with butter and mustard. Grilled mushroom or tomato slices belong here too.
• •For a quick meal, choose one topping and make 6 larger pieces. C'est la même grammaire: lightly grilled bread, butter applied hot, and enough garnish to cover without burying it.
• •Pour a dry Muscadet or another brisk, mineral white. The acidity answers the butter and smoked fish without competing with five different garnishes.

Advance Preparation

• •The Béchamel and haddock purée can be made up to a day ahead. Press parchment directly against the purée, chill it promptly, and reheat gently with a teaspoon of reserved milk if it has tightened.
• •The anchovies, sardines, and smoked salmon can be portioned up to 2 hours ahead, covered, and kept cold.
• •Prepare the Canapés and Toast (No. 316) and scramble the eggs only when the guests are nearly ready. Assembled canapés soften with waiting, while smoked fish loses its clean chill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 115g)