Sprat And White Bean Crostini

Crostini are great for entertaining, and the fun and unique variations you can come up with are sure to delight your guests. These sprat and white bean crostini were something I came up with on the fly for some surprise guests and fortunately they were a hit. The best part is you can customize them to suit your tastes perfectly!

sprat and white bean crostini on a black slate plate garnished with chopped parsley for passed hors d'oeuvres

This easy crostini recipe is super quick and only needs a few store-bought items. It is essentially a more upscale canape with no real effort. In fact, while one of the tools recommended is a stick blender, you could do this with just a bowl and a fork!

Since the sprats are the star of the show, I recommend buying high quality ones. If you’ve ever done a side by side test you might have noticed that cheap sprats tend to fall apart and are muted and squishy. High quality sprats remain quite firm (as far as tinned fish goes) and the flavors are great. They are also great in a compound butter!

The base of these sprat and white bean crostini is of course the white bean puree. You can see below the various additions I add, but if you want to change it up feel free to do so – just taste test along the way!

You Might Like: Caprese Crostini, Sweet Potato Crostini, Tuna Salad Crostini

What Are Sprats?

Sprats are small, oily fish that belong to the herring family, Clupeidae. These silvery marine creatures are typically found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Known for their distinctive flavor and high oil content, sprats are often enjoyed in various culinary preparations, such as being smoked, grilled, or canned.

They are a popular ingredient in many European dishes and are valued for their nutritional richness, providing a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and essential nutrients. Due to their small size, sprats are also favored as a snack or appetizer in different cultures, contributing to their significance in regional cuisines.

Shop: High Quality Tinned Sprats

How To Make A Simple Sprat And White Bean Crostini

The three main components of this recipe are the bread, beans, and sprats. So make sure to get decent quality versions of those. Everything else is substitutable or alterable, so don’t worry if you can’t find my specific pepper paste or you would rather use a different type of lettuce.

Ingredients

  • 400 grams White Beans – You can use any white beans you like, from fresh to canned. I prefer using canned as they are already soft and easy to blend.
  • 1 loaf Baguette – Ideally you would buy a fresh one from a bakery. Sliced on the bias.
  • 1 tin Sprats – As mentioned above, high quality sprats are ideal. If you cannot find high quality sprats you can substitute another high quality fish like sardines, but try to avoid cheap or low quality tinned fish if possible.
  • 1 tsp Salt – Or adjust as needed
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Granulated Onion – Or onion powder if preferred
  • 1 tbsp Parsley – Roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp Aji Amarillo Paste – Adjust to your preference (I add about a tablespoon but I love the flavor quite a lot). If you buy a jar just for this recipe you’ll have a lot leftover to make some tasty huancaina sauce or an aji de gallina!
  • 2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • Arugula or other fresh greens – As needed

Sprat Crostini Instructions

Add all of the ingredients except the sprats, baguette, parsley, and arugula to a bowl. I blitz well with my KitchenAid cordless immersion blender but you can do this with a couple forks or a standing blender if you prefer. Taste and adjust seasonings, then set aside.

Take your baguette and slice off pieces on the bias (diagonally). As you can see in the photo above I cut the bread with a deli slicer, which is highly inconvenient but does give me perfectly even slices every time. You can easily get away with a bread knife and a cutting board.

Toast or lightly fry the bread and schmear on some of the white bean puree. Top with some arugula or other fresh greens, then layer on a single sprat per crostini.

sprat and white bean puree on a baguette crostini

I sprinkle over a little chopped parsley as a garnish, but you can grate over some fresh parmigiano, olive oil, or even a hot sauce. I actually put some of my ghost pepper hot sauce on a few of them and the heat with the umami-packed fatty fish was quite lovely.

sprat and white bean puree on a baguette crostini

Sprat And White Bean Crostini

Crostini are great for entertaining, and the fun and unique variations you can come up with are sure to delight your guests. These sprat and white bean crostini were something I came up with on the fly for some surprise guests and fortunately they were a hit. The best part is you can customize them to suit your tastes perfectly!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Appetizer, Canape, Hors d’Oeuvre, Tapas
Cuisine Eastern European, European
Servings 24 pieces
Calories 174 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Bread Knife
  • 1 Stick Blender | optional

Ingredients
  

  • 400 grams White Beans
  • 1 loaf Baguette
  • 1 tin Sprats
  • 1 tsp Salt Or adjust as needed
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Granulated Onion Or onion powder if preferred
  • 1 tbsp Parsley Roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp Aji Amarillo Paste Or other spice paste of preference
  • 2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • Arugula or other fresh greens As needed

Instructions
 

  • Add all of the ingredients except the sprats, baguette, parsley, and arugula to a bowl. Blitz well with an immersion blender, but you can do this with a couple forks or a standing blender if you prefer. Taste and adjust seasonings, then set aside.
  • Take your baguette and slice off pieces on the bias (diagonally).
  • Toast or lightly fry the bread and schmear on some of the white bean puree. Top with some arugula or other fresh greens, then layer on a single sprat per crostini.
  • Sprinkle over a little chopped parsley as a garnish, or you can grate over some fresh parmigiano, olive oil, or even a hot sauce. I actually put some of my ghost pepper hot sauce on a few of them and the heat with the umami-packed fatty fish was quite lovely.
Keyword Party Food, Seafood, Tinned Fish
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