Party Food Archives - Retro Food For Modern Times

01
Dec
2024

Sardine Toadstools

categories: 1970's recipes, Devilled Eggs, Eggs, Fish, Sardines

Hello friends and retro food lovers. These little sardine toadstools may just be the most wonderfully whimsical vintage things I’ve ever made here! They are as cute as a button! A button mushroom, that is! The recipe for the Sardine Toadstools comes from what is fast becoming a favourite around these parts: Marguerite Patten’s 500 Recipes for Quick Meals (1972).

Imagine serving around a little tray of these at your next Halloween party. Or an Alice in Wonderland-inspired children’s party. I showed photos of these to one of my work colleagues. He loved them so much he is going to make them for his nieces on Christmas morning. Another colleague heard him talking about them and has also asked for the recipe to make for his daughters for weekend breakfasts!

Sardine Toadstools are a dish for any occasion where you want to add a touch of magic, which could also just be lunch! Your guests will be delighted and, by the way, these taste pretty good too!

Variations on The Theme of Sardine Toadstools

Now, I know that some of you, bizarrely, in my opinion, hate sardines. I feel the same way about cooked carrots. And beetroot. So there’s no judgement here. But please don’t discount this recipe if you do. You could swap in some tuna. Or leave out the fish altogether and just add mayo and mustard for a classic deviled egg.

If you want to get fancy and don’t mind the fiddliness of trying to coax the yolks out of boiled quail eggs, think how spectacular a miniature version of these would be! Use quail eggs and cherry tomatoes, and voila, not only are you magical, but you are also sophisticated!

Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth and yawned once or twice, and shook itself. Then it got down off the mushroom, and crawled away in the grass, merely remarking as it went, ‘One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter.’

‘One side of what? The other side of what?’ thought Alice to herself.

‘Of the mushroom,’ said the Caterpillar, just as if she had asked it aloud; and in another moment it was out of sight.

Lewis Carroll – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

The Recipe – Sardine Toadstools

As you can see, I’ve not bothered with the rounds of bread and butter, but you do you!

Please let me know if you make these! With Christmas just around the corner, many people may be wondering what to serve guests as fun finger food or a starter. These sardine toadstools could be just the thing for your entertaining needs! And if you do make them, please tag me on Instagram if you post them or ping me a photo. I would absolutely love to see how your creations turn out.

Have a great week!

10
Jan
2021

Classic Sausage Rolls

categories: Classic Recipes

Sausage Rolls are a classic Australian finger food – served everywhere from children’s parties to cocktail functions to picnics in the park to game day snacks. In fact, there is hardly an event where a sausage roll would be inappropriate and many where their existence could improve things! At the very least handing around a plate of them might shut that annoying guest or relative up for a moment or two while they scoff one down! They can also be found at every bakery for lunchtime or anytime snack!

For the win, they are also a breeze to make and are also very economical. There are hundreds of fancy sausage rolls recipes out there (chorizo and pink peppercorn, lamb and harissa, even the unpronounceable n’duja gets a guernsey!) but for the sake of this post, I am keeping it utterly simple and sharing the classic recipe I return to time and again!

In terms of condiments to serve your sausage rolls, for my mind, it can only ever be ketchup!

Classic Sausage Rolls – The Recipe

My version of sausage rolls is based one I found in Anneka Manning’s 101 Dishes to eat before you Die(t). Over the years, I have altered it to suit my tastes, lessened the amount of egg and breadcrumbs, pre-sauteed the onions, increased the amount of sage added some seeds to the top. If you would like the OG recipe please let me know, I will send it through!

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Classic Sausage Rolls

Print Recipe

A classic bakery sausage roll. Serve with plenty of ketchup!

Author: Taryn Nicole
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 36 1x
Category: Party Food

Ingredients

Scale

3 sheets frozen puff pastry

1 egg, lightly beaten

500g sausage meat

1 onion finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs

3 tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp thyme, finely chopped

1 tbsp sage,finely chopped* (minimum, I really like a sagey sausage roll so generally add more)

1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tbsp olive oil

Sesame seeds, poppy seeds or a mix (optional)

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Instructions

Line two cookie sheets with baking paper.

Saute the onions in the olive oil until translucent. Allow to cool.

Mix all the other ingredients except the pastry and the egg together.

Once the onions are cool, stir them into the meat and herb mix.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Cut the pastry sheets in half and lightly brush the edges with some of the beaten egg.

Pipe or spoon the meat mixture down the centre of each piece of pastry then fold over, overlapping the edges and placing the join underneath.

Brush the rolls with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sesame or poppy seeds if using. Cut each roll into 6 pieces.

Place the rolls onto the cooking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Recduce the heat to 150C and bake for another 15 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Technical Note

For some weird reason about half of my posts have changed status from “posted” to draft. Rather than bombard people with 140 posts all at once, I will be reposting these through the year. As I do I will label them all as “REPOSTS” so if you do not want to read old content you can simply delete it from your inbox. My apologies for this, I have no idea why it has happened and I can’t think of another way of getting them back out there!

I’m heading back to work this week…which for me will be settling back down at my dining room table to start my tenth month of working from home!

I hope whatever you are doing that you do it fabulously!

Have a great week!

01
Mar
2020

Smoked Mussel, Bacon and Brie Tarts

categories: Finger Food, Mussels, Seafood, Starters, Tarts

Do you remember that song from Sesame Street, “One of these things is not like the other things; one of these things does not belong?” I think that many people may feel that song was made for these Smoked Mussel, Bacon and Brie tarts. Smoked Mussels and Bacon sounds like a delicious version of Devils on Horseback. Bacon and Brie? You betcha! Smoked Mussels and Bacon and Brie? Hmmm…But, trust me on this one. They are amazing! Such yummy tasty little bites!

Mmmmm…melty cheese….bacon…how could these not be good? And the smoky mussels combined with the smoked bacon is a perfect combo!

The recipe I used called for a can of smoked mussels. You could use these but I used some gorgeous chilli smoked mussels from my fishmonger which, IMHO, took these tarts to next level! The smoked mussels were actually the inspiration for me making these tarts. As soon as I saw them I knew I had to make something with them! And thankfully, the tarts did not disappoint. The chilli on the mussels added a lovely kick to the tarts. If you can’t find fresh smoked mussels, by all means, use tinned. And feel to add a few chilli flakes if the mood takes you!

I was thinking as I write it what a funny word monger is. There are not that many mongers about. Fish, cheese, gossip, iron and war were the only ones I could think of. Which is almost as odd a combination as mussels, bacon and brie!

Google also says there are scaremongers, fleshmongers, pearmongers and whoremongers among others. Who knew there was a specialised name for a pear seller?

Anyway, I digress. The other major thing I changed from the original recipe is the pastry. The OG recipe called for filo pastry. I’m not a fan of filo pastry for something like this. I think this sort of quiche type pastry needs a more solid shortcrust which is what I used.

You can find a link to the original recipe here. They really are delicious and a breeze to make. Even the fussiest eater in the world thought they were more-ish and believe me, those endorsements don’t come too often!

So why not flex your mussels and start bacon these tarts!!!! They’ll brie amazing!

Have a wonderful week!

Tag: Party Food

Variations on The Theme of Sardine Toadstools

The Recipe – Sardine Toadstools

Classic Sausage Rolls – The Recipe

Classic Sausage Rolls

Ingredients

Instructions

Technical Note