Canapes Ivanhoe

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2-inch (5 cm) round cutter
• •1-quart (1-liter) heavy saucepan with lid
• •Small food processor or fine-mesh sieve
• •Small rimmed metal baking sheet suitable for broiling
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the rounds

   Use a 2-inch (5 cm) cutter to stamp two rounds from each slice of bread. Keep them covered while you prepare the topping so their surfaces don't dry before toasting. Wipe the mushrooms clean and dry them thoroughly; moisture left on the caps will make them shed water beneath the broiler instead of browning.

   Keep the bread trimmings for crumbs. The brigade discarded perfect-looking scraps by the tray; your kitchen has better uses for them.
2. 2

   Poach the haddock

   Lay the smoked haddock in a small saucepan and pour the milk around it. Warm over medium-low heat until the milk shows only a faint movement at the edge, about 170 to 175°F (77 to 80°C), then lower the heat and poach for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once if the fillet isn't submerged, until the thickest part is opaque and separates into broad flakes. Never let the milk boil. If bubbles race around the pan, remove it from the heat and lift out the fish immediately; return the fish only if its center remains translucent after the milk settles. If the outside has tightened, ça se rattrape: use an extra teaspoon or two of warm poaching milk when binding the purée and process it only briefly. Reserve 1/2 cup of the milk.

3. 3

   Make the purée

   Remove the skin and every pin bone while the haddock is still warm, then break the flesh into a small food processor. Pulse three or four times. Add the 2 tablespoons of softened butter, the cream, and white pepper, then pulse in short bursts just until the purée is smooth enough to spread. Add reserved poaching milk one teaspoon at a time until it holds a soft mound without flowing. The warm fish and real butter form the simple emulsion that gives the purée its gloss. Taste before adding any salt. If it looks grainy, press it through a fine sieve with a spoonful of warm milk; if it becomes loose, stir it over the lowest heat for 30 seconds at a time until it regains body.

4. 4

   Grill the mushrooms

   Set an oven rack 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) below the broiler and heat it on high. Coat the mushrooms with 1 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter and a tiny pinch of salt, then arrange them on a small rimmed metal sheet. Broil for about 3 minutes, turn them, and broil for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the caps are deep gold, glossy, and tender without shriveling. If the pan fills with mushroom liquid, pour it away and return the mushrooms to the broiler for another minute. Hold them on a warm plate.

5. 5

   Toast and butter

   Wipe the baking sheet dry and arrange the bread rounds in one layer. Broil them for 30 to 60 seconds per side, watching without distraction, until both faces are evenly golden and the edges feel crisp. Brush both sides immediately with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter. Toast first and butter second: the bread becomes crisp all through, while the butter forms a rich barrier beneath the moist purée. If one face catches slightly, grate away any bitter black edge and place that side underneath the topping.

6. 6

   Build the canapés

   If the purée has cooled and tightened, stir it over the lowest heat with a teaspoon of reserved milk until soft and warm. Set the buttered toast rounds on a platter and spoon one generous tablespoon of haddock purée onto each, spreading it just shy of the crisp rim. Crown every mound with one whole grilled mushroom. Serve as soon as the last canapé is assembled, while the toast still answers the teeth and the mushroom retains its buttered gloss. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a smoked haddock fillet that feels supple rather than leathery. Undyed fish gives the purée its natural ivory-gold color, but careful poaching matters more than the color of the cure.
• •The mushrooms should be no wider than the toast rounds. Very small buttons remain plump under the broiler and give the composition its proper balance; a large cap turns a two-bite canapé into an engineering problem.
• •Smoked haddock varies enormously in salt. Taste the finished purée before seasoning, and never reduce the poaching milk because that concentrates every grain of salt it has drawn from the fish.
• •Toast last and assemble immediately. Ten minutes under a moist topping softens even well-buttered bread, so have the purée and mushrooms ready before the rounds meet the broiler.
• •Pour a brut Crémant de Loire or a dry Champagne. The bubbles clear the butter and smoke without crowding the mushroom.

Advance Preparation

• •Cut the bread rounds up to one day ahead and keep them airtight at room temperature. Trim the mushrooms at the same time, then refrigerate them in a paper-lined container.
• •The haddock purée can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead, cooled promptly, covered directly on its surface, and refrigerated. Rewarm it over very low heat with reserved poaching milk added a teaspoon at a time.
• •Do not assemble the canapés more than 5 minutes before serving. The three components can wait separately; the buttered toast cannot remain crisp beneath the purée indefinitely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 135g)