These Gorgonzola, pickled celery and walnut chicory cups are light, fresh and quietly impressive. They’re almost entirely assembly, which makes them one of my favourite canapés for stress-free hosting. Most of the work can be done well before guests arrive, and they look beautiful lined up on a platter.
Chicory, blue cheese and walnuts are a classic combination for good reason. The chicory leaves are crisp and slightly bitter, the Gorgonzola is rich, creamy and salty, and the toasted walnuts add warmth and crunch. The quick-pickled celery is what brings it all together. Its sharp, sweet acidity cuts through the cheese and keeps every bite feeling fresh rather than heavy. It’s a small detail, but acidity is often what turns a good canapé into a memorable one.
The celery pickle couldn’t be simpler. Slice the celery as thinly as you can, then toss it in apple cider vinegar with a little maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Twenty minutes is enough, but it will keep happily in the fridge for several days, so it’s worth making extra to scatter over salads. Toast the walnuts until just coloured and fragrant. This deepens their flavour and takes away any bitterness. For a sweet and spicy finish, a drizzle of hot honey works really well against the blue cheese.
To stop the chicory cups rolling around on the plate, I serve them on a bed of dried beans or chickpeas. It’s a trick used in a lot of professional kitchens, and it makes them easy to pick up. These are naturally gluten free, and if you’re cooking for vegetarians, swap the Gorgonzola for a vegetarian blue cheese, as traditional Gorgonzola is made with animal rennet.
Chicory and celery are both at their best through autumn and winter, which makes these a lovely canapé for festive drinks and Christmas parties. Pickle the celery and toast the walnuts a day ahead, separate the chicory leaves in the morning and keep them wrapped in damp kitchen paper in the fridge. Assemble within an hour of serving so the leaves stay crisp.
recipe
Servings:
10 individual bites
Cook time:
10 minutes
Ingredients
2 heads of chicory
1 pack gorgonzola
1 stick celery
Handful of walnuts
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Toast the walnuts in the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes, or in a dry pan, until lightly coloured. Set aside.
2. Slice the celery into thin rounds and mix with the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Leave to pickle.
3. Trim the base of the chicory and peel away the larger leaves (save the smaller ones for salads).
4. Line up the chicory cups and crumble gorgonzola down the centre of each.
5. Top with a few slices of pickled celery and some crumbled walnut.
6. Finish with salt and pepper, or a drizzle of hot honey if you like.