Cucumber Canapés with Shrimp

Cucumber canapes with shrimp on a white plate with fresh herb topping

Cucumber canapes with shrimp are easy to prepare fancy appetizers with a refreshing homemade tzatziki filling and vibrant herb topping!

Course Appetizer, Appetizer or snack, Party food

Cuisine French

Keyword canapes, cucumber canapes, hors d'oeurves, shrimp canapes

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings canapes

Calories 26kcal

Author Debbie Jones

Equipment

vegetable peeler
melon baller

Ingredients

¼ lb. shrimp raw or cooked
½ Tbsp. oil for cooking shrimp
Salt and pepper
2 cucumbers
½ cup Greek yogurt
Half 1 lemon for juicing
¼ tsp, granulated garlic
Handful mint leaves finely chopped
Herbs for topping I use dill, mint and chives

Instructions

If using pre-cooked shrimp, skip straight to step 3. Before making this cold appetizer recipe you will need to cook and chill the raw shrimp. Place a pan on medium heat and add half a Tbsp. of oil. When the oil is hot, place the shrimp in the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook the shrimp for 1 minute on each side until bright pink.
Remove from the pan and leave to cool. When completely cool, chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Use a vegetable peeler to roughly peel the cucumbers. This doesn't have to be perfect; a few strips of green skin left behind can add a nice effect to the finished shrimp hors d'oeures.
Slice off and discard either end of the cucumbers then cut up into inch thick pieces. Each piece will become a cucumber canape cup.
Use a melon baller (or a measuring spoon) to hollow out the seeds from the center of each cucumber cup. You may also need to use a knife if you can't get deep enough with the melon baller or spoon. Be careful not to go all the way through to the other side.
In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, granulated garlic, and finely chopped mint leaves to make homemade tzatziki filling. Season with salt pepper and mix in well. Taste and adjust as necessary.
Transfer the tzatziki filling to a piping bag. Line up the cucumber cups and carefully fill each cup with the tzatziki. Don't fill all the way to the top, but leave a small gap, as the level of the filling will rise when the shrimp and herbs are added.
Place a chilled shrimp over the lip of each cup with the head end in the filling and the tail end hanging outside of the cup.
Top with herbs, then serve!

Video

Notes

If you do not have a melon baller, use an appropriately sized measuring spoon to scoop out the insides of the cucumbers.
For the piping bag, a plastic bag can be used. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag to use to fill the cucumber cups.

RECIPE TIP: These gourmet appetizers can be made a few hours ahead of time and stored in the fridge until needed. To ensure they keep at their best, leave off the herb toppings and add these just before serving. In addition, place kitchen paper under the finished shrimp appetizers before placing in the fridge. The cut cucumber will release water as the canapes chill and the kitchen paper will prevent the cold hors d'oeuvres from becoming soggy.

Nutrition