Limoncello Canapés // S1E16 Young at Heart
“I’m afraid to ask. What kind of hand did you grow?”
Ok, this episode isn’t great. It does have a dramatic ending, which is what used as inspiration for this week’s recipe. Focusing on Scully’s friend’s cello recital, we thought canapés would be fun to make considering the venue. We would be happy to serve these Limoncello Canapés at a post-recital reception. Also, if you haven’t noticed, these are limoncello canapés for a reason (sorry, not sorry).
With “Lazarus” and “Young at Heart” we get back-to-back mediocre episodes with narrative devices featuring Scully’s and Mulder’s pasts. The X-Files tends to use these characters from the past to try to add more dimension to Mulder and Scully in a way that never quite works– all we need from this show is just the two of them doing stuff together. The creepy salamander hand is good imagery for The X-Files, but overall the plot manages to be both convoluted and also boring. A mad-scientist doctor archetype. A government conspiracy. A murderer from Mulder’s past that left him with a lot of emotional baggage. And also a murdered former colleague. It all combines to make a watchable but forgettable episode. At least Scully gets to wear a bullet proof vest.
After the excitement at the recital, the episode ends with a dramatic foreshadowing showing the locker holding the research while Mulder says in a voiceover “I feel like we haven’t heard the last of John Barnett”. But, we have. We have heard the last of John Barnett. This foreshadowing goes nowhere and is never spoken of again.
Final thoughts: This episode marks the second appearance of the Cigarette Smoking Man (who looks like he’s CIA), holding a cigarette while shouting at John Barnett as he’s dying on a table. It really looks like he’s trying to shout him back to life, but he’s probably just trying to talk to him.
The Recipe File|
Heat oil in a medium pot. Roughly chop the fennel bulb and drain the hearts of palm and add to oil.
Cook the hearts of palm and fennel for about 10 minutes, stirring infrequently, until the vegetables are browned.
Add 2 tbsp limoncello to the pan and deglaze the vegetables. Note: You can use cooking wine to deglaze, if you’d prefer. We just wanted the pun and also thought it added an extra layer of lemon to this dish. Add the vegetable broth, cover, then simmer for about 15 minutes, until the fennel is tender. Use a strainer to retrieve the braised vegetables and let cool slightly. Continue to simmer the broth until it is reduced, about 5 minutes.
While the vegetables cook, prepare the other ingredients: Roughly chop the fennel fronds until you have about 2 tbsp. Chop the scallions. Roughly chop the preserved lemon. Cut half the apple into matchsticks, and the other half into small pieces. Toss the apple in the lemon juice to keep it from browning.
Once the veggies are cool enough to handle, roughly chop into small pieces. Add to a large bowl. Lightly mash the veggies with a potato masher. Add the 2 tbsp fennel fronds, scallions, preserved lemon, apple pieces, vegan mayonnaise, remaining tbsp limoncello (optional) and 1 tbsp of the reduced broth to the bowl. Stir well to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper as desired.
Assemble the canapés by topping each vegan cracker with about 1 tbsp of the mixture. Garnish with the apple matchsticks and/or fennel fronds.
This recipe makes about 3 dozen canapés.
Limoncello Canapés Recipe
Limoncello Canapés
Equipment
- potato masher
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 14 oz can hearts of palm
- 1 fennel bulb and fronds
- 1 C vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp limoncello separated
- 3 scallions
- 1/2 preserved lemon
- 1 green apple
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 8 oz vegan crackers we used Back to Nature Classic Round crackers
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium pot. Roughly chop the fennel bulb and drain the hearts of palm and add to oil.
- Cook the hearts of palm and fennel for about 10 minutes, stirring infrequently, until the vegetables are browned.
- Add 2 tbsp limoncello to the pan and deglaze the vegetables. Note: You can use cooking wine to deglaze, if you'd prefer. Add the vegetable broth, cover, then simmer for about 15 minutes, until the fennel is tender. Use a strainer to retrieve the braised vegetables and let cool slightly. Continue to simmer the broth until it is reduced, about 5 minutes.
- While the vegetables cook, prepare the other ingredients: Roughly chop the fennel fronds until you have about 2 tbsp. Chop the scallions. Roughly chop the preserved lemon.
- Cut half the apple into matchsticks, and the other half into small pieces. Toss the apple in the lemon juice to keep it from browning.
- Once the veggies are cool enough to handle, roughly chop into small pieces. Add to a large bowl. Lightly mash the veggies with a potato masher.
- Add the 2 tbsp fennel fronds, scallions, preserved lemon, apple pieces, vegan mayonnaise, remaining tbsp limoncello (optional) and 1 tbsp of the reduced broth to the bowl. Stir well to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Assemble the canapés by topping each vegan cracker with about 1 tbsp of the mixture. Garnish with the apple matchsticks and/or fennel fronds.
