Donal Skehan’s three foolproof Christmas canapés that will impress your guests

My ultimate bougie cheat’s festive entertaining ‘recipe’ is this potato chip platter made elegant with crème fraîche, trout roe and dill. It’s a recipe which gives me 1990s Nigella vibes, when effortlessly cool entertaining ruled the day. A bag of the poshest salted potato chips tumbled out onto a fancy platter and topped with creamy, salty pops of deliciousness is a no-brainer. Serve with a strong cocktail and you have the perfect no-fuss canapé that makes you look oh-so chic.

If you do need to redeem yourself from a platter of crisps, maybe give my Irish cheddar and thyme gougères a go. A choux pastry might be the last thing you want to tackle in the stress of entertaining, but hear me out. Don’t bother with a piping bag; simply dot rounded teaspoons of the mixture on a baking sheet and they will puff up to become beautiful savoury morsels, ideal to be passed around while guests catch up. They can also be baked ahead of time and reheated and revived in the oven, meaning they arrive hot to your guests — little festive wins!

Lastly, a canapé which feels uniquely Irish: slices of the best smoked salmon you can get your hands on served atop Irish boxty-style ‘blini’ with cream cheese and chives. Again, the boxty can be made in advance and stored in a container in layers of kitchen paper. Revive in the oven or dare I suggest the air fryer and they will crisp up and warm through ready to be adorned with their savoury toppings.

Choose one or all three to serve at your festive gatherings this year and you will no doubt impress!

Potato Chips, Trout Roe, Crème Fraîche & Dill & Chives

Cook time 10 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 200g crème fraîche
• Zest of 1 lemon
• A small handful of dill, fronds picked
• A small handful of chives, finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large bag thick potato crisps
• 1 jar Goatsbridge trout caviar

Method 1. Whisk together the crème fraîche, lemon zest and half the herbs. Season with the salt and pepper.

2. Arrange the potato crisps across a large serving plate.

3. Dot the crème fraîche and herb mix over the whole platter.

4. Garnish with dollops of the trout caviar and sprinkle over the remaining herbs.

Irish Cheddar & Thyme Gougères

Cook time 60 mins

Serves 5

Ingredients

• 60g salted butter
• 130ml water
• 80g plain flour, sifted
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 100g cheddar cheese, grated
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
• Ground black pepper

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7 and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Place the butter and water in a small saucepan and bring to a steady boil until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and add the flour, beating with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Place back over the heat and beat the dough in the saucepan for about 40 seconds.

3. Remove from the heat, set aside and leave to cool slightly. Beat the eggs in a small bowl.

4. Add the eggs a little at a time — beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the egg is completely incorporated after each addition. Continue adding eggs gradually, until smooth, shiny and just about fall from the spoon. You may not need all of the egg.

5. Stir through 75g of the cheese, nutmeg, thyme and a sprinkle of black pepper.

6. Using a spatula, scoop the dough into a large piping bag fitted with a large round piping nozzle and pipe 3cm rounds on the lined baking sheets, leaving about 6cm in between each line to allow for spreading. Pat water on the top of each gougère and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

7. Place in the oven, reducing the heat to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5, for approximately 25 minutes until they have risen and are golden and crisp. Serve warm.

Irish Boxty-Style ‘Blini’ with Cream Cheese, Smoked Salmon & Chives

Cook time 30 mins

Serves 6-8

Makes 30-35

Ingredients

• 250g mashed potato
• 250g peeled, grated, raw rooster potato
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 6 spring onions, finely sliced (optional)
• 300ml buttermilk
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to season
• 1 tsp butter
• 180g cream cheese
• 1 lemon, zested
• ½ small bunch chives or dill, finely chopped
• 150g smoked salmon, gravlax or smoked trout

Method

1. For the boxty, put the mashed potato, raw grated potato, flour, baking soda and spring onions in a large mixing bowl and mix until evenly combined. Add the milk, little by little, until you have a wet, dropping consistency. Season to taste with sea salt and ground black pepper.

2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat with a little butter. When the butter begins to foam, spoon heaped teaspoons of the boxty into the pan and press them down lightly with the back of the spoon to make small 1cm-thick ‘blinis’. Alternatively, use a small 4cm round cutter and place this in the pan, then spoon in the mixture to make a round disk.

3. Cook on a medium heat each side for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside on a tray to cool a little.

4. In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, lemon zest, most of the chives or dill and some black pepper. Slice the salmon into strips. Spread a little of the cream cheese on to each blini and top with a bundled-up strip of smoked salmon and any reserved herbs. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.