Prince of Wales' Canapés is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic starter of farthing rolls filled with a mix of prawns, anchovies, gherkins, celery and truffles that are moistened with Prince of Wales' sauce, covered with a disc of aspic and served. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Prince of Wales' Canapés.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Prince of Wales' Canapés that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 336.—THE PRINCE OF WALES' CANAPEES.
Procure the picked tails of fifty fine prawns, the fillets of a dozen anchovies, two mountain gherkins, a cleaned head of white celery, and two good truffles : let all these be cut in small neat squares, put into a basin with enough Prince of Wales' sauce, No. 81, to season the ingredients; mix together, and fill a number of crusts of rolls as shown in No. 335, with this preparation ; cover their surface with a thin circular piece of bright aspic jelly, and dish them up on a napkin.>br/> Note.—It has just struck me that these delicious canapés which I consider so worthy of the epicures notice, under the patronage of the illustrious individual whose name I have ventured to borrow for their designation, may be advantageously variedly using in their confection, instead of prawns,— lobster, crab, shrimps, oysters, poultry, game, tongue, ham, turbot, sole, salmon, &e. And instead of, or in addition to celery, use any other kind of salad : and further, instead of a covering of aspic jelly, the canapees might be smoothly masked over with white mayonaise, No. 37, and a decoration formed either with truffle, lobster coral, beetroot, or the leaves of tarragon or chervil traced thereon, which would tend materially to enhance their appetising appearance. These canapés are admirably adapted for ball-suppers, &c.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
10 farthing rolls
50 pickled prawns, finely chopped
12 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 gherkins, finely chopped
1 head of celery, finely chopped
2 truffles, finely chopped
12 tbsp (about) Prince of Wales' sauce aspic jelly, set on a baking tray lined with clingfilm and cut into circles
Method:
Slice the rolls in half, remove the centres then place in a warm oven to firm the crusts.
Combine the prawns, anchovies, gherkins, celery and truffles in a bowl. Work in enough Prince of Wales' sauce to moisten all the ingredients.
Use this mixture to fill the hollowed-out rolls then cover with discs of aspic jelly and serve.
