What starter are you having Christmas Day ?

[howthefuckshouldiknow]

DH and DCs have requested no prawn cocktail this year - what are you having this year? would love some inspiration, thanks

[howthefuckshouldiknow]

123mother - that's what I was thinking. I'd love scallops but no guarantee that fresh will be available. Wondering if PP has sourced excellent frozen ones or some such

[ChocoChou]

Ilikeyourhairyhands Ilikeyourmenu, got room for one more?

[confuugled1]

I come from a family that don't do starters and we're always stuffed half way through the main course as there's so many different bits and bobs that we tend not to eat the Christmas pudding until the next day (actually I still have last year's unopened as we couldn't face it!) so the thought of having a starter makes my stomach groan.

The first year dsis did Christmas lunch for us and her fiancée and soon to be in laws, she and her OH had been discussing the details but obviously not in enough detail. She did the shop, he was helping to put away, got to the end and asked where the rest of the shopping was...

She was asking what on earth he meant, that was it, there was enough food to feed an army for a month, there was no way she needed any more food or indeed planned on cooking anything else.

Turns out her now dh reckoned that a normal Christmas involved a starter, roast beef and a gammon to go with the turkey, two trifles (one boxy, one not) and something else, I forget what.

She was not impressed that he hadn't mentioned it earlier, he couldn't get his head around anyone that thought it was normal to just have turkey and trimmings as Christmas lunch - he also didn't like vegetables so hated the fact that sis loved them and we were all used to having about 10 different things. He went straight out to get the rest of the stuff he wanted for his Xmas lunch, completely ignoring the fact that dsis was expected to cook it but unlike his mum, she didn't have a large farmhouse aga that it was way to roast more than one thing at a time.

I think these days if she does it she compromises and does a big gammon on Christmas Eve - then there is plenty left over for her now dh to have some with Christmas lunch if he wants it.

[Birdlet]

http://m.tesco.com/mt/legacy.realfood.tesco.com/recipes/smoked-salmon-and-prawn-parcels.html

We normally have a prawn cocktail but fancied something a little different this year so are having these smoked salmon and prawn parcels instead

[Blu123]

My family have always made starters on Christmas Day, but my DH's family have never done so. Each of us found it a bit odd when having our first Xmas with each other's families, but each to their own

[123MothergotafleA]

Scallops Must be spankingly fresh.

[BeaLola]

Adults have a slate server and on it salmon terrine, smoked salmon, crab concoction yet to be decided and king prawns - small canapé size portions of each. DS has his usual starter of edible glittered chocolate spread sandwich canapés ! - his tradition. DB & DF have caviar on their servers as well.

We then have a gin and elderflower granita followed by main event. Desert is mini mince pie and a slither of Christmas pud - tiny slither . Lunch takes about 3 hrs or longer including crackers, coffee and licquers etc and we all love it. We open gifts afterwards. To be fair I don't eat breakfast and in the late evening we traditionally have a turkey sandwich.

[howthefuckshouldiknow]

I'm 37 my parents always made a starter then when I met my dp and his mum did Christmas she also always made a starter so it's not that unusual! It's the most indulgent meal of the year to me so we carry on the tradition!
Queenofthebrae - I've been thinking of doing scallops, do you buy them frozen?

[MistressMolecules]

Really boring here. Dd1 is having prawn cocktail and dd2 cucumber sticks (shes not yet two with a not very big appetite so would like her to eat her main or some of it! We weren't going to have a starter for that reason but dd1 wanted one as we always do) Me and DH are having stuffed mushrooms.

[chatnanny]

We've always had proper breakfast in pyjamas. We used to have light starters like Parma ham with fresh figs but in recent years I do plenty of canapés which we eat whilst present opening - things which can be made ahead. Then we sit at the table only in time for the main course.

[ILikeyourHairyHands]

I'm with you on the foie gras Choco, with a glass of sauternes, either that or artichoke soup (tiny bowl), followed by seafood of some description with Chablis or a dryish Gewürz then main course (wine depending on meat), then pudding (with pudding wine) or cheese (with pudding wine or port), then coffee, liqueurs/armagnac/cognac and petit four/chocolates.

I like a small plate of the main course so I can have all the rest.

I bloody love Christmas dinner.

I've also got caviar and vodka shots, and native oysters and bloody mary shots shots for earlier.

Panettone, chocolate and tea for breakfast though, it's the law. I'm not arsing about in the kitchen all day.

[SixthSenseless]

"we eat starter at like 11 then main at 3 then pud at 6. Its great and ensures we are eating all day!"

In that case, Panetonne and a Lindt Chocolate Reindeer.

[ChocoChou]

We will always have a starter!

Totally prepared to get flamed for this but I have to own up... our starter is foie gras with Melba brioche toast and a chutney . Sorry but DH claims it's just not Xmas without foie gras (he's french if that's an excuse?!) and I ashamedly love it.

[OliviaStabler]

Starter?

Sorry, no way we'd have one. Need room for the main event

[SixthSenseless]

We have never had a starter before Christmas Dinner.

We eat in the evening. Might have posh nibbles with champagne a bit before the meal, but with 14-18 people round the table and a huge range of the full 'trimmings' there just isn't the space and plates for a starter. And I don't see Christmas Dinner as a starter-y kind of meal.

Starters before Christmas Dinner is the sort of thing invented to fill pages in those magazines sold at checkouts.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

I don't know anyone in RL who has starters before a huge Xmas dinner!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheT1meG0es]

No, I only found that from MN that some people do have starters, it really isn't something I've come across in either DH or my family. Wouldn't do if we all liked the same things though.

[OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow]

Whiskey.

[Millimat]

I'm fascinated. I thought everybody did starters at Christmas!!

[roundtable]

It sends that starters and brunch are interchangeable on Christmas Day from this thread.


We'll have brunch in the morning and nibbles out all day but no starter.

[IHaveBrilloHair]

Some proper grouches on here.
We're having prawn cocktail, it's traditional, though we aren't having the roast until later in the week.

[katienana]

I like the m&s salmon mousse. Sil often does either prawn cocktail or pate. I think something that's either ready made or an assembly job is ideal.

[NoMudNoLotus]

None
Waste of food & waste of money.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheT1meG0es]

We don't really bother with pudding either, it's usually eaten by those that want it later in the evening, with crackers and cheese also available. Coffee yes, later on, mints no, again that's something I've only ever had in restaurants. So we are only at the table for the main course.

[Bitlost]

Snails