When I started dating a Brit, I vowed to never start picking up any British-isms, at the risk of sounding like the ultra-pretentious hipsters described here or, worse, Madonna. However, there is one British phrase that I absolutely cannot resist and adore – “bits and bobs”. According to Wiktionary, “bits and bobs” means “a random assortment of things; small remaining pieces and things”, but I like to use the term to describe the little bites that accompany our drinks during cocktail hour. It is so much more whimsical and fun than “appetizers” or “hors d’oeurves” {still have to look up how to spell that word}, and broader in scope than “tapas”.
The best bits and bobs {in my opinion} are those that are incredibly easy to prepare, but have high impact. These were inspired by Ina Garten’s smoked salmon blinis, without the headache of the blinis. Instead, I take a miniature loaf of pumpernickel bread, cut out circles {totally NOT necessary}, brush with melted butter and toast in the oven to achieve a lovely crispness, which I think goes well with the satiny-ness of the smoked salmon. These bits and bobs are excellent with champagne or any cocktail really {mine were enjoyed with Negronis}.
Recipe continued after the jump…
Recipe
Makes 18 canapes
- 18 slices of a small loaf of pumpernickel bread
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 pound smoked salmon, thinly sliced
- 1/4 c. creme fraiche
- Lemon sea salt {if you can find it} or regular sea salt
- Fresh dill sprigs, for garnish
- Fresh chives, finely chopped, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400°. If desired, cut each square slice of bread into circles using a 1 inch sized circular cookie cutter. Place slices on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush melted butter on both sides of each slice. Bake slices for 10-15 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Let cool slightly.
To serve, top the canape with a piece of smoked salmon. Add a dollop of creme fraiche {as you can see, my dollops weren’t especially uniform}, sprinkle with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper and chives, and top with a sprig of dill.
Thank you for reading!
Fantastic – so very pretty. Perfect little canapes 😀
Thank you! 🙂
Bits ‘n’ bobs is a widespread Australianism too! 😄
Ooh! Good to know! 🙂
I’m crazy for canapes – these look delish!
Thanks Claire! They are super easy too, if you don’t bother making the blinis from scratch.