These dainty little egg halves, scattered with rust-red paprika and vibrant leafy dill, make for a very pretty platter.  Serves 126 quail’s eggs1½ tbsp sour cream½ tsp Dijon mustardSmoked paprika, to tasteSalt and black pepper, to tasteDill sprigs, to garnish  1 Put the eggs in a pot filled with cold water, cover with a lid and bring to a boil.  2 Turn the heat off and let the eggs sit for 2 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water, then peel them.  3 Cut each egg in half vertically. Carefully scoop the egg yolks out and put them in a separate bowl. Line up the egg whites, ready to be filled.  4 To the yolks, add the sour cream, mustard, paprika, and season to taste, then stir until well combined. Put the mixture into a piping bag and fill each egg white.  5 Sprinkle the quail eggs with paprika and dill, and serve immediately.  Probably the easiest canapé you could make, but also the richest in flavour: a blob of salty, sweet and sour blue cheese melting into the caramel-tinged dried fruit.  Makes 2010 medjool datesRipe crozier blue or dolcelatte  1 Split the dates lengthways and remove the stone. Arrange on a plate and top each half with a little nugget of cheese.  Darina Allen, A Simply Delicious Christmas (Gill & McMillan)  On the other end of the spectrum, this is a much more elaborate affair – aromatic duck meat paired with crisp golden Jerusalem artichoke.  For the brined duck800ml water4 tbsp salt4 tbsp caster sugar2 bay leaves6 clovesFinely grated zest of 1 orange3 duck breasts  For the crisps400g Jerusalem artichokes2 tbsp olive oil1 tbsp saltFreshly ground black pepper  1 Pour the water into a large pot and add all the ingredients for the brine, except the duck. Dissolve over a medium heat and stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and leave until completely cold. Put the duck breasts in a non-reactive dish and pour over the cold brine. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.  2 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Take the duck breasts out of the brine, dry with kitchen paper and put in an ovenproof dish. Roast for 18 minutes. They should remain pink inside.  3 Wash the Jerusalem artichokes and cut them super-thin – if you have a mandolin, use that. Divide the slices, keeping them in one layer, between two baking trays lined with baking parchment, then drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil into each trayful and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at the same temperature as the duck for 25-30 minutes, or until they become crisp and golden. Cool on a wire rack.  4 Cut the duck into cubes. Pierce a toothpick through each cube and thread the Jerusalem artichoke crisps on top, so each canapé looks like a small sailing boat.  Trine Hahnemann, Scandinavian Christmas (Quadrille)  Crunchy, oily, savoury mouthfuls of pork with sweet, spiced apple, these work wonders as an appetiser. Allow them to dry for one week.  For the pork scratchings20 x 10cm pork skin 600ml rapeseed oil, for deep-fryingSalt  For the spiced apple dip1 large bramley apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks30g salted butter1 tbsp brown sugarGround cinnamon, to tasteSalt and freshly ground black pepper  1 Set the oven to 120C/250F/gas mark ½. Put the skin in a roasting tin, cover with water and cook for 2–3 hours in the oven. Drain off the water, pat the skin dry on kitchen paper and place, skin-side up, on a wire rack. Use a tea-towel or cheese cloth to cover and set aside in a cool, dry place to dry out for 1 week.  2 To make the spiced apple dip, put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes until the apple breaks down, stirring occasionally. Spoon the apple puree into a serving dish and set aside until you are ready to serve.  4 Heat the rapeseed oil in a deep, heavy-based pan until smoking hot. Meanwhile, cut the tenderised dry pork skin into finger-sized rectangles, about 5 x 2cm, using a sharp pair of scissors. Sprinkle lightly with salt.  5 Deep-fry the pork scratchings a few at a time in the hot oil until they puff up like prawn crackers and triple in size – about 2 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper while you cook the rest.  6 Serve with the spiced apple puree.  Gregory, Richard and Oliver Gladwin, Shed: The Cookbook (Kyle)  Deep fried potatoes dressed with a tangy, sweet and fiery sauce make an excellent sharing dish.  Makes a decent bowlful450g new potatoes, boiled in the skin, peeled, cut in half and allowed to cool 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped1 tsp red chilli flakes2 tsp nigella seeds1 tsp salt 50g cornflour Vegetable oil, for deep frying  For the sauce1½ tsp vegetable oil 2 garlic cloves, chopped1 tsp red chilli flakes1 tbsp sesame seeds1 tbsp tomato ketchup2 tsp vinegar (eg rice, malt or white wine vinegar work well) 1½ tbsp honey1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves or spring onion greens (optional)  1 Combine the peeled potatoes with garlic, red chilli flakes, nigella, salt and cornflour in a large bowl and set aside for 5 minutes.  2 Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180C/350F. Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with about 2 tbsp of water to make the cornflour stick better to the potatoes. Deep fry in batches for 3–4 minutes until crisp and golden, then drain on kitchen paper and keep aside.  3 For the sauce, heat the oil in a separate pan or wok. Add the garlic and stir until it starts to turn golden, then add the chilli flakes, sesame seeds, ketchup, vinegar and honey and stir for a minute or so until mixed well and the sauce turns glossy.  4 Toss the fried potatoes in the sauce, sprinkle with coriander or spring onions and serve immediately.  Vivek Singh, Spice at Home (Absolute)  These buttery cheesy mouthfuls are exactly this is the kind of hors d’oeuvre that messes up your appetite before dinner: it’s so utterly moreish.  Makes about 36120ml whole milk120ml water8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces½ tsp salt130g all-purpose flour5 large eggs, at room temperature170g cheese, eg gruyère or cheddar, coarsely grated  1 Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.  2 Bring the milk, water, butter and salt to a rapid boil in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over a high heat. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium-low, and immediately start stirring energetically with a wooden spoon or heavy whisk. The dough will come together and a light crust will form on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring well – with vigour – for another minute or two to dry the dough. The dough should now be very smooth.  3 Turn the dough into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or into a bowl suitable for mixing with a hand mixer – or a wooden spoon and elbow grease. Let the dough sit for a minute, then add the eggs one by one and beat, beat, beat until the dough is thick and shiny. Make sure that each egg is completely incorporated before you add the next, and don’t be concerned if the dough separates — by the time the last egg goes in, the dough will come together again. Beat in the grated cheese. Once the dough is made, it should be spooned out immediately.  4 Using about 1 tbsp of dough for each gougère, drop the dough from a spoon on to the lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between the mounds.  5 Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately turn the oven temperature down to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until the gougères are golden, firm, and, yes, puffed: another 12-15 minutes or so. Serve warm, or transfer the pans to racks to cool.  Dorie Greenspan, Baking Chez Moi (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)  Cooked polenta makes a wonderfully useful baked base, topped here with shards of sage and molten cheese.  Serves 4960ml waterSalt130g stone-ground polenta225g fresh mozzarella75g grated parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino romano cheeseExtra virgin olive oil for drizzling Leaves from 1 bunch dried fresh sage (or a little chopped rosemary) Red pepper flakesBlack pepper  1 Bring the water to a boil in a large heavy saucepan and add 2 tsp salt. Whisk in the polenta and continue whisking as it begins to bubble. After a minute or two, when the polenta has thickened a bit, reduce the heat to low and let it cook gently, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes, until thickened and smooth, with no raw cornmeal taste. If the polenta gets too thick as it cooks, add a bit more water. Remove a spoonful and cool, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.  2 Spread the polenta on a lightly oiled baking dish to a thickness of 1-2cm. Let it cool and set, preferably overnight, in the refrigerator.  3 Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6, with a rack in the top third. Tear the mozzarella into big shreds and scatter it over the polenta. Top with the parmesan. Drizzle lightly with oil and crumble the sage leaves on top.  4 Bake the polenta until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned: 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper to taste and let cool slightly.  5 Serve cut into rough wedges or squares.David Tanis, One Good Dish (Artisan)  Just the ticket for those who like dips and dunking: a mess of spicy root vegetables combined with lashings of creamy yoghurt.  Makes a good party bowlfulFor the yam300g water yam150g carrots2 garlic cloves, chopped2cm fresh ginger, peeled and minced½ tsp cayenne pepper1 tsp paprika1 tsp ground coriander½ tsp ground cuminSalt2 tbsp carrot juiceJuice of 1 orange2 tbsp rice milk, or cows milk1 tbsp groundnut oil  For the labneh250g creamed labneh or thick salted yoghurtJuice and grated zest of ½ lime1 tsp sumac plus extra to garnish1 tsp za’atar  1 Peel the yam, cut it into small pieces and plunge it immediately into a pan of cold water to stop discoloration. Peel the carrots and add them to the pan. Bring the water to the boil and cook the tubers for around 35 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash them with the garlic, spices, seasoning, juices, milk and oil.  2 Mix the labneh with the lime juice, zest and spices. Serve the yam puree in a bowl with the labneh dolloped on top. Sprinkle with sumac and serve with warm bread.  More buttery, cheesy, moreish goodness – these savoury snaps are as perfect with chutney or tapenade as they are on their own.  Makes 40200g plain flour130g unsalted butter, cubed180g cheddar, grated1 tsp cayenne pepper½ tsp smoked paprikaA pinch of saltPoppy seeds, to decorate  1 Put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blitz until well combined. If the dough doesn’t come together when pinched, add 1 tbsp cold water and blitz again.  2 Knead the dough in a bowl into a ball.  3 Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured surface, and roll into a log 4cm in diameter. Cut in half. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 1 hour.  4 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Roll the logs in the poppy seeds, if using. Slice each log into 20 discs and transfer them to a floured baking sheet lined with parchment.  5 Bake in the oven for 14-15 minutes, until golden and the edges are brown. Let them cool on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container or freeze for up to 2 weeks.  Milli Taylor, Party-Perfect Bites (Ryland Peters and Small)  Cost-effective but eminently festive party food – fresh sardines give you a seaside flavoured hit normally associated with oysters and caviar.  Makes 204-6 sardines (up to 100g each), filleted, trimmed10-12 vine leaves in brine (jarred or vacuum-packed)½ lemon2-3 tsp sea salt60-100ml olive oil  To serve1 tomato2 finely chopped spring onionsSour cream  1 Start by removing the thin membrane that coats the skin of the fish – you can do this easily by scraping at the tip of the fillet with a sharp knife to expose the membrane, then grabbing it with your fingers and pulling. Repeat with the rest of the fillets.  2 Use half the vine leaves to line a wide colander or a cooling rack on a tray. Slice the lemon into thin slices and lay them on the vine leaves.  3 Next, lay the fillets skin-side down on the leaves and sprinkle with the salt, so every fillet gets a light sprinkling all over. It is time to put the sardines to bed – cover the sardines with the remaining vine leaves and pat them down with your fingers so the leaves cling to the fish and they are snugly tucked in. Allow them to sit like this for 15 minutes. They will have exuded some liquid, so pat them down again and leave for another 15 minutes.  5 Now remove the top layer of leaves (you can use these to garnish your serving plate if you want) and, using some kitchen paper or a clean cloth, pat the sardines to dry them and remove any excess salt. Pack them tightly (like sardines) into a small container, discarding the bottom layer of leaves and lemon slices, then pour over the olive oil (enough to cover them) and seal until you come to serve. 6 The sardines will be ready to eat in 20 minutes, and will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days.  7 To serve, cut the sardines into small bite-sized pieces, piercing each with a toothpick and arrange them on a plate. Halve a tomato and squeeze it over the plate as you’d squeeze a lemon, so all the seeds and juice come out and add freshness and zing, then sprinkle with the chopped spring onion and serve with the sour cream.  Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, Honey and Co: Food from the Middle East (Saltyard)
Our 10 best: Christmas is on the horizon, which means canapés are on the menu. Serve up Scandi-inspired duck, spiced yams and cured sardines