Little Croustades filled with Gravadlax and Soured Cream

These are simplicity itself and the filling comes from the supermarket. The croustades are made in mini tartlet tins, which are available in trays of 12; what they are essentially are croutons made into tartlet cases. There are a number of fillings that could go into them – Mexican Guacamole and Anchoïade are excellent. Smoked salmon can be used just as effectively as gravadlax, in which case you add a little lemon juice before the soured cream. We have found that, once assembled, these keep crisp for up to 3 hours.

Method

Begin by placing the slices of bread on a flat surface and rolling them with a rolling pin to make them as thin as possible. Next stamp out rounds using a 2¼ inch (5.5 cm) plain cutter. Melt the butter in a small pan containing the garlic and a seasoning of salt and freshly milled black pepper.

Now brush the little bread rounds on both sides with melted butter and then press them into the tins firmly. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes or until crisp and brown. Cool them on a wire rack and store them in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks.

To fill them for serving, simply pile the finely chopped gravadlax into each one and top with a little of the sauce that comes with it. Add a blob of soured cream and a dash of cayenne pepper.