Light Christmas starter

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Our main course is going to be quite heavy and then we have dessert and a cheese board. I know we don't have to have a starter but this year I want to push the boat out a bit and go the whole hog.

I am looking for ideas for a very light starter. My starter is actually going to be a glass of champers but need something for the others. Something very light. No shellfish.

Any ideas?

Feta, rocket, pine nuts & a balsamic glaze?

I’d go for smoked salmon (you could cure it to make a gravalax or something)

I agree with the salmon suggestion, gravalax would be perfect

Melon, sculpted artistically if you have talent, and scooped with a melon baller if not? Or is that a bit retro?

I hate shellfish so we always have 'nibbles' from m and s a couple of hours before eating main course.

Since you can't do shellfish I would just have smoked salmon parcels. Yum.

Watermelon, feta and mint salad? We had it last year, it was delicious and really quick.

I used this recipe www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/watermelon-feta-salad/

Thin slices of Honeydew Melon wrapped in Parma ham. Everyone who comes here for Christmas loves it - ages from teens to eighties. The saltiness of the Parma ham does something incredible to the melon. You can prepare it the night before and leave the portions on a large plate in the fridge covered with some clingfilm. If you want it to look more festive, then sprinkle with some pomegranate seeds or some orange/clementine zest (or thin slices)

I'll also be serving carrot soup, spiced with ginger and coriander, keep it light by adding no cream or potato to the base, garnish with parsley

There is another thread on this. We have canopies a couple of hours before hand,

Canapés even,,,

Brie and cranberry filo parcels - last year I shaped them like crackers.

Roast red pepper soup , DD's favourite ever. It's quite light for a soup.

We always have mushroom soup. With garlic bread.

Far too heavy but hey ho. It’s Christmas.

Melba toast, with butter and/or pate 😋😋😋

I came on to say melon, parma ham and pomegranate seeds but SageRosemary beat me to it.

Alternatively asparagus wrapped in Parma and sprinkled with sesame seeds and balsamic reduction. But that’s a lot more faff and needs a few minutes in the oven.

I would say a caprese salad, or mackerel pate with sourdough, or the asparagus with Parma ham mentioned above.

Blinis (pre-made for convenience) topped with smoked salmon, sour cream, half quail egg and caviar

Vol-au-vents (pre-made for convenience) filled with one of the following:

Horseradish, rare roast beef, topped with crispy onion & beetroot

Smoked mackerel mousse topped with cucumber and dill

German grain bread cut into bite size squares, topped with Brie/Cambazola or Gorgonzola/Stilton, with cranberry sauce or a fig (or other) chutney

Serve as canapés about an hour before dinner - this means you get to relax and have a glass or two as well, then leave everyone to chill while you get back to cooking. I like this approach because you don’t need to stress if dinner takes longer as no one will be starving.

Or you could do one huge baked Camembert or several smaller ones for sharing, with crusty bread, breadsticks, olives, antipasti, charcuterie, cranberries and walnuts, and whatever other accompaniments you fancy.

Mind you we eat at dinner time rather than a Christmas lunch.

I like the sound of canapés before.

Usually smoked salmon here, with a salmon style mouse, pre made.. And asparagus.... We did vere off to parma ham etc but it was too heavy..

I am loving the canapés and champagne starter. I can get my DC to take them round on a platter and serve the champers

Yup, M&S do some great ones, like mini yorkishires with beef snd horse radish or mini cheeseburgers or sticky chicken etc, all bite size, just heat them up in the oven. It’s so simple, takes the pressure off the cooking, and is always a winner. Folks properly love dinky canapés and bubbles. Feels decadent and Christmassy,

I just put them out on the coffee table about twelve /1 o clock, then we have Xmas lunch about 3/4pm. By that point you’re hungry again and also feel like you’ve had your starter,