Cocktails & Canapes for Women's World Cup 2015: France

So we have reached the last day of the first round matches and tonight's featured game is France vs Mexico with France being my chosen country.

I shall be serving a French 75 champagne cocktail

and a duck breast canape.

The recipe along with  little  history for the cocktail is here on the Independent newspaper website.

The French 75 ingredients are:
45ml Dry Gin
10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
5ml sugar syrup (or a small teaspoon of superfine sugar)
Champagne (chilled)

The gin, lemon juice and syrup are shaken over ice. This is then strained into a champagne flute and the glass is then topped up with chilled champagne and garnished with a twist of lemon.

For the Duck Breast Canapes:

1 boneless duck breast trimmed of excess fat

30-40g good duck liver pate

baguette or ciabatta bread for croutes

2-3 kumquats sliced 2-3mm thick
salt & black pepper

2tbs olive oil for frying

1. Cut the bread into suitable sized croutes
2. Pan fry the duck breast in a little olive oil, skin side down, turn over and cook for a few minutes to brown the other side and then transfer to an oven at 170C to cook until just done how you like it.
3. While the duck breast is in the oven pan fry the kumquat slices in a little olive oil until golden brown around the edges.
4. Let the cooked duck breast rest for 10 minutes in a warm place and while it is resting toast the bread croutes.
5. Spread a think layer of duck liver pate onto each croute.
6. Thinly slice the duck breast and lay a few slices on top of the pate.
7. Season with a light sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Garnish with the kumquat slices.