Lighthearted. Dd would like "an array of seafood"

[sundaydayisnotmyfundayday]

Pain in the bum daughter turns 20 tomorrow. As per tradition, she picks dinner.

Previous years have included spaghetti tacos, a toastie banquet, the Feast of 10 types of potato..

This year she has refused my plea offer to go out to eat and would like me to make her a spectacular array of seafood. The only thing she dislikes is scampi..

Please help me decide what to include!?

She sounds brilliant. I love the idea of a toastie banquet!

For this though I would definitely outsource. What about something like this?

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/seafood-platter/713786-807742-807742?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23225407435&gbraid=0AAAAADnhuuVcISvZNRJk_bSdf-W7Pc3ir&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgvPKBhCxARIsAOlK_EoOrQvIrR5BshXqoazpdJHMhmXXBNLweMXgnwsjMnxIV5XIQp9kJTMaAgGhEALw_wcB

Waitrose do a seafood platter, failing that I'd just go to my local fishmongers and ask if they can make one up..languistines, crab, mussels, lobster etc

Calamari
fish fingers - a variety include battered / breaded / different fishes
mackerel pate on toast
king prawn ring
sushi
tempura prawns

I’d go with smoked salmon and prawns, and I couldn’t resist throwing in some fish fingers for the giggles.

Oh and calamari rings

I also love her 10 types of potato idea!

Try M&S food to order for the seafood perhaps?

Samphire
Soda bread

Sounds fantastic!

I'd do two courses - cold followed by hot.

For the cold I'd go for a levelled up homemade prawn cocktail with prawns and crayfish tails (or add crayfish tails to a quality bought prawn cocktail). With some smoked salmon and toast/crostini - maybe a smoked salmon mousse wrapped in smoked salmon. Or a salmon or mackerel pate. Oysters if you're really splashing out!

Then for the hot - perhaps scallops wrapped in bacon, crab or lobster, mussels or clams.

These are fantastic, and M&S do them too:

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/no1-2-coquilles-st-jacques/370904-828130-828131

Or go for a hot main dish like a seafood paella or seafood pasta.

Or a fish "mixed grill" - cajun or tandoori salmon, amritsari white fish, lobster tails, scallops poached in their shells.

I’d go to a fishmonger for this. Are you near the coast?

Also what did you do for the 10 types of potato? That sounds fun!!

you have to include fish fingers or fish shapes!!
Fabulous idea and I now want a fish platter with brill, garlic prawns, calamari and all the fish!

Definitely salt and chilli squid, firecracker prawns, mussels in garlic butter, breaded fried crab claws…I’d probably base the whole thing around a side of salmon so I could eat most of it.

One of my dc also goes in for mad themed dinners. We did an American one with sliders, mac and cheese, hot wings, Boston creme pie and Key lime pie. Though the most memorable was probably “crisp and biscuit day” which was exactly what it sounds like 😆

Toastie banquet sounds awesome.

Wow that looks great … but it says 6 days’ notice required unfortunately

Mini fishfinger bun bites, with tartar sauce

Sushi
Octopus salad
Fish tacos
Shrimp pasta (hot)
Squid stew (hot)
Seafood rice (hot)

Ah that's annoying I didn't notice that you had to order in advance. I suspect that would be the same for most of them. It is indeed delicious though we had it at a friend's house and I'm not a fish kind of person but was impressed.

You need to get whatever is fresh. Do you have a local fishmonger? A company called the Upper Scale do fresh fish delivery.

Things like shell on tiger prawns, baby squid, tuna sashimi, lemon sole, skate wing, haddock. With plenty of garlic herb butter and lemon.

Prawn cocktail!

Do you have any world food shops near you? They have fun things like octopus balls! Also a prawn platter always goes down well

Pink prawn sweeties too for dessert.

Perfect - foam shrimps and those sardine-shaped chocolates in a tin!

And Guylian seashells!

I want to know about the potato

My Christmas dinner from my local market fishmongers. It was delicious and I should imagine most items are readily available from fishmongers or large posh supermarkets.

You could buy sushi from Marks and Spencers to go with the array of seafood. My son loves it.

I'm curious about the "toastie banquet" as well.

Loving the idea of portions if different fresh fish then adding fish fingers too.