To think serving a starter with Christmas dinner is unnecessary. And weird.

[Kavalier]

Am hosting DH's family for Xmas dinner for the first time this year. MIL always does a prawn cocktail starter and they will miss a starter if I don't serve one, so I will. I think it's very odd though. AIBU?

Sure you were.

My dh works with someone who is going to relatives for christmas dinner who will apparently be serving up 10 courses?! 10?!

I can't imagine having that many courses or indeed what they'd all consist of. I'm guessing it's similar to a tasting menu.

The relatives hosting have young dc too, my dc can just about be parted from their toys Christmas Day for one or two courses but 10, surely they'd be up he table for hours?

Blimey ten courses?

Fish
Sorbet
Main
Pudding
Cheese
Petit four thingies with coffee

What would the other 4 courses be?

Soup! That would be another course.

Shows I don't eat in fancy places. I have no idea!

Do you have sorbet after every course?

You have sorbet to cleanse the palette so I think it's just after a fish course it's been years since I ate anywhere considers fancy

10 courses would be

Amuse Bouche
Amuse Bouche
Starter
Fish
Meat
Pudding 1
Pudding 2
Pudding 3
Cheese
Coffee & Petits Fours

Most people would call the Amuse Bouche 'nibbles' - and put all the puddings on the table together - so its all just presentation really.

I did think "Amuse Bouche" , that'd be nibbles then!

There bouches will be very amused after all that. So will their stomachs.

You forgot sorbet 5

I think there should be a Gaviscon and Renees course too after all that.

I think the challenge in that kind of menu is having enough crockery - rather than in the cooking.

You'll need to pay your firstborn elf to wash dishes continuously through the meal.

True 5 children, I streamlined spoons a few years back so no meal is having soup and a pudding.

Do chocolate coins and quality street count as amuse bouche?

They're probably counting the side dishes as courses, and the puddings as separate courses too.

People always seem to serve sorbet at weddings, I've never seen the point of them. If I'm having a palate cleanser quite frankly I'd rather a shot of something.

They do for me now Dilly.

In that case I could stretch to possibly 5 courses.

The 10 course menu probably reads like a tasting menu though.

1. chocolate coins AMUSE BOUCHE
2. prawn cocktail PRAWNS
3. smoked SALMON
4. BRUSSEL SPROUTS: sprouts, chestnuts, bacon
5. ROAST: parsnip, carrot, potatoes
6. CABBAGE: red cabbage, apple, balsamic vinegar
7. TURKEY: turkey, cranberry, sausagemeat
8. deconstructed TRIFLE
9. PUDDING: Christmas pudding, brandy butter

10. CHEESE

So, in reality, it's just what other people have on Christmas day. They just call it 'snacking' (1), 'starter' (2&3), normal Christmas dinner (4-7), pudding (8&9) and 'if anyone's hungry later on'.

I cannot believe that after nearly 500 posts on this and the real issue hasn't been mentioned: you need a starter for white wine!

Salad course? They have them in restaurants in the USA iirc, like some french families

Though possibly not at Christmas

Dh says they probably will have a prawn on a Spoon with some sauce and a shred of lettuce and proclaim that to be a course!

I like the French salad thing. My French exchange family did it. Dad would serve up green salad while Mum fried steaks. Then the meat rested while everyone ate salad - and was served perfect.

Yes, the course should almost certainly be PRAWN. It'll be a single prawn, a bit of lettuce and some Marie rose 'air', possibly served on a spoon.