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!?

Starter of mackerel pate (flake smoked mackerel, add lemon juice, creme fraiche, chopped dill and black pepper) and serve on mini toasts eg crosini ones.

main course of pan fried salmon, calamari, prawns, mussels (in wine sauce) all readily available and not ultra expensive.

I read toastie banquet as toastie bouquet initially and wondered what that might entail 😂
Nothing to add on the seafood front I'm afraid.

Whatever you do has to include foam shrimp and Guylian seashells for dessert!

So the toasties were cooked to order but I put out 3 different breads, loads of savoury fillings and sweet fillings and borrowed a couple of sandwich toasters and they just helped themselves to what they wanted and then I toasted them

I know it sounds a bit rubbish but she always loves it.

That doesn't sound rubbish at all. Toasties are total comfort food - that sounds like a fab birthday tea.

I agree, it’s brilliant. I may nick the idea.

Canapés with smoked salmon, homemade white fish in batter, these vietnamese prawn spring rolls (actually very easy) https://healthynibblesandbits.com/fresh-vietnamese-spring-rolls-with-video/ , mussels.

Scallops baked in their shell in garlic butter, whole seabream in a lemon caper butter sauce, mussels in cream, garlic and white wine, haddock and leek chowder topped with clams, Gambas and crusty bread, lobster and crab linguine with chilli and parsley. Oysters served with tobasco or shallot vinegar, glass of champagne.

Make a huge fish pie with a load of different fish in it. Sorted, one dish, lol.

Alas, I could not find the foam shrimps. Dd was very happy with the food I managed to get together though 😊
White wine mussels, tempura prawn bao with sweet chilli, prawn cocktail lettuce boats, pizza rolls, coquille st jacques, king prawn ring, cockles and of course fishcake roulette!

Looks amazing!

Seafood chowder, perfect for this weather too

Edit: now read it’s all done with, your pic is making me hungry!

You are an absolute legend, OP. It all looks delicious and such fun ❤️

That looks awesome. I'm sure she loved it and hopefully next year she gives you more notice for her next brilliant idea. 😁

Seafood boil!

OP that looks brill 🐟

This has been a great thread to read. It's reminded me of going to Doncaster fish market with my late FIL and him buying DH and I cockles while he discussed which giant fish to purchase for his fish kettle. It was only about the second time I met him. A larger than life figure, I often miss.

Mention of whelks reminded me of an Aussie visitor who tried whelks from our fishmonger because he thought he'd had them as a child in the UK before emigrating. He said afterwards they he'd either changed or it must have been something else.

Langoustine reminded me of being on Skye at a restaurant called Coruisk House. Very remote and magical

You're all mean!! Even the descriptions are making me think of how it would all taste, mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Oh yes, Food is so emotive isn't it.

I love this.

My DD is 18 & she was desperate to try oysters - so went went to Whitstable over Xmas break for a "late lunch" and had some. Turns out she LOVES them au natural. Thankfully (and accidentally to me) the restaurant has a happy hour between 5 & 6pm on oysters which were half price. So we had a dozen each.
We will return for happy hour another day.

Ha @RobinEllacotStrike DS did exactly the same during Covid when he was about 13. We went to Whitstable and he was desperate to try an oyster…. There’s a very funny video of him clearly not enjoying it. 😂. But we had fantastic Oyster Rockefeller (cooked!) at Christmas and he’s up for 99% of other fish.

For her 8th birthday my DD meal of choice was a colander full of plain pasta that “I can shove my whole face in”. Recently requested again for her 10th! She likes seafood though, so maybe I’ll suggest that instead 😆

M&S had some nice prawn and salmon sashimi style platters in today.