Christmas Day Starter

[Goldenhandshake]

Ok hit me with your ideas for a nice starter on Christmas day? Previously I have done the obligatory prawn cocktail or cranberry and brie parcels and I want to do something different.

The problem is I have a fussy DH and therefore it rules out any form of fish (prawns apparently don't count), oh and it must appeal to the kids (age 7 and 2).

:) Thanks in advance

I don't do one any more, much as I love starters I want the actual dinner to get eaten.

Not helpful, sorry:)

We don't do one any more either. We have picky party food as a snack lunch, then main meal late afternoon. It makes for a very relaxed day.

Parsnip soup? Jamie Oliver does one that is really nice.

I always do pate and a Brie thing. I've managed to avoid pregnancy over Christmas until now. I need to rethink...

We had smoked salmon last year and duck rilette the year before. I don't think we'll bother this year as it just takes away from how much dinner is eaten.

We always have watercress soup or asparagus and hollandaise!

Other suggestions:
Chestnut soup for something festive
Go a bit retro and opt for melon and parma ham
Bruschetta/crostini for something simple
Blue cheese and pear parcels
Ham hock terrine, make a day or two before slice and go

I have spotted a Delia recipe for potted pork that sounds nice and easy to prepare the day before, so I am tempted to give it a try!

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/british/potted-pork-with-juniper-and-thyme-with-a-marmalade-of-apples-raisins-and-shallots

Pâté and melba toast?
Melon?
Grilled goats cheese with fig jam?

Any chance you can persuade him that smoked salmon isn't really fish either? It's a known by-effect of smoking, to remove all traces of pescatoriness.

Otherwise figs and Parma ham?

No starter in this house anymore, too much of a faff, I want to spend as much time playing with my dc and spending time with my family! A lovely Xmas lunch and dessert if we were not too full

We had nice terrine last year which was festive with pistachios and cranberries, porky nice contrast with turkey main and prepare-ahead too so slice and serve convenience on 25th.

AuntieStella Salmon was "pink chicken" in our house for a very long time!

I have pate on toast and 2 children get prawn cocktail and DH gets soup. The others don't bother with starters because they have 2 puddings.

We actually eat our starters for lunch (around 1pm) and we eat our big dinner at around 4 pm and pudding at around 8pm. If I didn't do it like that I wouldn't get through everything and the small children love their starters and the rest love pudding so I need to do everything. not really helpful

Ooh figs and parma ham sounds very nice!

We have canapés which we start having around 12.30 with fizz. It's become a tradition and DH always makes them.

Then you don't need a starter.

Dh and I have homemade vegetable soup and the dcs have Heinz tomato soup as they turn their noses up at the veggie soup!

My friend did a ham hock terrine which was gorgeous...it was served with lightly fried malt loaf which was epic.

I'm probably going to do a fig, walnut and gorgonzola tart this year. sod the turkey I just want 4 starters

Last year for our work Xmas meal I had 'melon snow' which was just melon with lemon sorbet and berry coulis. I loved it because it was really light which I think is important for Christmas starters so I'm thinking of going for that.
But I'm also tempted with a recipe I've seen for blue cheese roasted figs.

We don't do starters as the meal is too big.

We have done gravalax by curing salmon which sounds fancier than it is. Or another nice one is poached pear with Parma ham or grilled peaches with Parma ham and mozerella. All dead easy.

We tend to have a cup of tea before the beans on toast.

No starter before our festive meal (whenever we have it - total waste of stomach space. It takes us all day to eat the main and pudding as we need about 4 hours between them!)

Goats cheese and caramelised onion bilinis

French onion soup with crusty bread and cheese.
Or pate and fried bread.

I used to faff with prawn cocktails / baked Camembert but felt it too much effort, all my creative energies go into making the dessert now

Baked Camembert

I think we're doing truffled celeriac soup with toasted walnuts