Happy Pancake Day from all of us at Black Mountains Smokery

With St David's Day coming up too, this lovely welsh recipe comes from our good friend Sarah Clay, who has learned to use laverbread in her cooking from her Mother-in-Law. These blini are absolutely delicious and not at all scarey to make or eat.  The Carthews are now Laverbread and Cockles converts -  please do give this recipe a try!

Feeds 6  - 8 as a starter or canape

• 100g Self Raising Flour 
• ( I used a mixture of SR flour and Buckwheat flour with 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar & 1/2 tsp Bicarb of Soda)
• 1 egg
• 5oz milk
• 120gm(small tin) of Laverbread
• sea salt to season (I prefer Halen Mon)
• 220g our traditional Welsh Smoked Salmon
• Creme Fraiche
• 120g (small tin) Cockles

Whisk up batter in a mixing bowl and leave to stand for at least 1/2 hour.  Cook on a very hot greased frying pan or similar.

Drop on a spoonful and cook till bubbles appear on top of the blini, then flip over and cook the other side.  You can produce drop scone sized pancakes or smaller bitesize ones - it's up to you!

Slide off and serve warm or cold with a dollop of Creme Fraiche, a piece of Smoked Salmon, a sprinkle of cockles and a twist of black pepper.

Buy a special Celebratory Pack of Welsh Smoked Salmon, Laverbread and Cockles for just £23.50 delivered.

Posted on Feb 16th 2012

In aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust

£3500 was raised at a Valentine''s Dinner held near Abergavenny, organised by Sally Flemming-Jones, whose grandson, Dylan, suffers from the disease. This recipe is brought to you by Bethan Davies who made all the canapes for the fund-raising dinner.

A delicious, easy to produce appetiser; can be made a couple of hours before and kept, cling-filmed in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing.

• 100g Sliced Smoked Duck Breast
• 250g Tub Mascarpone Cheese
• 24 Mignons Morceaux biscuits, garlic croutons or mini bruschetta
• 4 tbls Hoisin Sauce
• Spring Onions - finely sliced

Spread each of the biscuits with a some Mascarpone cheese and spoon a little Hoisin Sauce on top. Roll up a slice of Smoked Duck Breast and press on to the the biscuit. You can use a cocktail stick to secure the roll. Arrange on a dish and garnish with finely chopped spring onions.

Posted on Jul 20th 2011

A Classic Canape

Buy or make savoury buckwheat mini pancakes.  Serve them warm with a dollop of soured cream and a generous piece of Smoked Salmon, Gravadlax and / or Smoked Trout.  

Arrange on a platter and garnish with fresh dill leaves and chopped spring onions.  

For further variety, lightly flavour the soured cream with Dill Sauce for the Gravadlax Blinis and horseradish for the Smoked Trout Blinis.

Posted on Jul 4th 2011

Smoked duck makes the most fantastic canape to hand around with drinks.

Simply slice a smoked duck breast very thinly and arrange on a platter around a ramekin of chilli jam or Red Pepper & Chilli Jelly. 

Everyone can help themselves with a cocktail stick using the jelly as a dip.

Posted on Jul 4th 2011

Serves 6

• 2 Smoked Trout Fillets approx 160g
• 1 Tub Cream Cheese
• 1 Lemon
• Single Cream
• Black Pepper & Paprika

Blend together the Smoked Trout Fillets and the cream cheese. Add lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Leave the texture firm for pate; for a dip loosen the mixture by adding single cream. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika or chopped parsley. Serve as a dip with freshly prepared crudite and bread sticks or as pate with wholemeal bread or toast and butter. The Smoked Trout produces a very delicate flavour. Substitute with or Smoked Salmon Trims for a more robust pate or with poached Smoked Haddock flakes And a little softened butter for really fulsome flavour.

Posted on Jul 4th 2011