4 Bites: Swedish canapes

For your next drinks party ... seeded crispbread (knackebrod) and three moreish toppings, plus baby Swedish meatballs in their own cheese baskets

Seeded crispbread (knackebrod)

1. Combine 1 cup fine ground cornmeal, ¾ cup cornmeal flour (ground cornmeal is still gritty, cornmeal flour has the consistency of flour), ½ cup mixed sesame seeds, ½ cup flax seed (we used a mix of brown and golden), ½ cup sunflower seeds, ½ cup pumpkin seeds, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp pepper and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper.
2. Whisk 1 egg into ½ cup sunflower oil and stir into the dry ingredients. Add 1 large cup boiling water, stir to combine and leave to absorb for 5 minutes.
3. Pile mixture into the middle of a large baking tray (approx. 37 x 40cm) lined with baking paper and press out to evenly cover the tray. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and bake in a 180C oven for 1 hour or until golden, dry and firm. Cool to crisp, break into large chunks and store in an airtight container. Get the recipe

Fish, pickled onion and mustard sauce

1. Make pickled onion: Heat ¼ cup of tarragon or cider vinegar with 1 tsp sugar and 2 peppercorns until just boiling. Strain over 1 small chopped red onion, leave to cool then chill.
2. Make a mustard sauce: Whisk 3 Tbsp mayonnaise with 2 Tbsp sour cream, the zest and juice ½ lemon, a splash of white or cider vinegar, ½ tsp sugar and a little pepper to taste. Whisk in 1 Tbsp each of American, Dijon and wholegrain mustards and chill.
3. Top pieces of seeded crispbread (top) with pickled red onion, chunks of smoked fish, a spoonful of mustard sauce and spicy micro greens. Get the recipe

Chicken liver and port pate

1. Heat 1 cup port with 2-3 cloves smashed garlic and a bunch of thyme and oregano, then gently simmer until reduced by three quarters. Strain and cool.
2. Blitz 500g cleaned chicken livers with 1 tsp sea salt flakes and a little freshly ground black pepper until smooth. Pass through a sieve into a mixing bowl.
3. Whisk in the port, then slowly whisk in 250g melted, cooled unsalted butter. Pour into a greased, lined loaf pan (11 x 21cm), cover loosely with foil and cook in a water bath in a low 110C oven for 50 minutes or until the pate is just firm to the touch in the middle. Remove from bath and leave to cool on a rack.
4. Garnish pate with thyme and top evenly with a little melted butter or melted quince/guava jelly. Cover and refrigerate to chill thoroughly.
5. Remove pate from pan, slice into serving wedges and serve with seeded crispbread (top) and a fruit paste or syrup. Makes 35-40 small bites. Get the recipe

Shrimp salad

1. Steam (or blanch) 400g of shelled, raw prawns (or shrimp) until just cooked. Cool and cut into chunky pieces.
2. Whisk ⅓ cup creme fraîche (or sour cream) with a little salt and pepper and the zest and juice of ½ lemon. Mix in the prawns and a large handful of chopped dill and chill. Before serving, mix through 2-3 Tbsp pickled onion plus a little of the pickle juice (see below), to taste.
3. To make pickled onion: Heat ¼ cup of tarragon or cider vinegar with 1 tsp sugar and 2 peppercorns until just boiling. Strain over 1 small chopped red onion, leave to cool then chill.
4. To serve as canapes, pile spoonfuls on to small chunks of seeded crispbread (see top of page), crackers or potato chips. Garnish with fresh dill. Makes 35-40 small bites. Get the recipe

Swedish meatballs

1. Mix 200g each of beef and pork mince with 1 small grated onion, 1 tsp each of ground allspice and sea salt flakes, a little grated nutmeg and black pepper.
2. Whisk 1 egg into ⅓ cup cream and mix into ⅓ cup breadcrumbs to absorb. Mix evenly through mince, chill, then roll into 35-40 small meatballs. Bake in a hot oven or pan-fry until just cooked through.
3. To serve as canapes, add a meatball to a cheese basket (see below), top with a tsp of mustard sauce (see below) and garnish with chives.
4. To make mustard sauce: Whisk 3 Tbsp mayonnaise with 2 Tbsp sour cream, the zest and juice ½ lemon, a splash of white or cider vinegar, ½ tsp sugar and a little pepper to taste. Whisk in 1 Tbsp each of American, Dijon and wholegrain mustards and chill.
5. To make cheese baskets: Mix grated parmesan and cheddar cheese with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds and a little pepper. Place circles of cheese mix on to a baking paper-lined oven tray, add a piece of black olive to the centre of each and bake in a 180C oven until just golden. Remove cheese rounds and gently press into mini muffin pans to cool into crisp baskets. Get the recipe