Spiced carrot, labneh and nigella seed on charcoal crackers
I made these recently for one of my ‘How to Host a Dinner Party’ events at Soho House and they were a huge success. Seeing as it was close to halloween I went for a ‘freak chic’ twist but they’d work for any time of year and would be a good novelty canapé for thanksgiving or any other Autumnal do too.
The charcoal crackers give them that real edge and I highly recommend Peters Yard. You can find them in most supermarkets and delicatessens. I like to make my carrot the night before the party as I find the flavours taste better that way but you can do it on the day too. Labneh is best left to hang overnight but if you are very short of time a few hours will do. I use what is called ‘ a nut milk bag’ for mine. I purchased it for very little on Amazon but you can also use a thin piece of muslin or a pair of old tights (just be sure to wash them first). I use a stick blender to make the carrot but if you don’t have one a food processor or good quality blender will do too.
Ingredients
| makes roughly 80 canapés |
roughly 250g greek yogurt (or one pot)
4 Large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp tahini
1 tsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
sea salt and black pepper
nigella seeds
Method
Place your yogurt into either a thin piece of muslin, a nut milk or preserving bag or pair of tights. Twist the material around the yogurt to enclose it tightly and place in a sieve above a bowl to allow the water to drain out. Leave in the fridge overnight.
Remove your labneh from the material and transfer it to a clean bowl or container. Discard the water collected in the bowl.
the Steam or boil your carrots until soft enough that they can be pierced with a table knife.
Drain and return to the pan. Allow to cool slightly.
Add the olive oil, tahini, mixed spice and cayenne pepper to your carrots and blitz until smooth using a hand held stick blender. Season to taste and blitz again. If you don’t have a stick blender you can use a food processor of blender too.
To assemble snap your crackers and using a tea spoon scoop about a 1/4 of a tsp worth of carrot onto your spoon. Drag it over one edge of the cracker to create a sloped effect. Repeat.
Using two teaspoons upside down use one to scoop a small amount of labneh. Use the other to scrape it off and onto your carrot.
Sprinkle with nigella seeds and arrange on a plate before serving.
These canapés will sit very well for about 40 minutes. Id advise you to start prepping them about 20 minutes before your guests arrive.