Christmas lunch starters

[shrumps]

I usually do the classic prawn cocktail or canapés...i prefer it to be a sit down one but am out of ideas. What are you having??

We have Christmas dinner around 5ish so usually do a brunch around 11 which includes starter food. Usually a prawn ring with sauce, mini samosas, cheese, cold meat cuts, lobster Mac n cheese. Washed down with mimosas and/or coffee. We kind of eat and drink all day long and there’s always plenty of food with 27 of us!

Prawn ring with cocktail sauce - proper retro, but feels like a proper treat!

Honestly if you need to do something make it light, Xmas dinner is a big meal, I don’t understand how anyone can eat something like soup and bread before it, that’s a meal in itself.

Something like a thinly sliced mozzarella and tomato salad with some rocket on th side, and a balsamic dressing,

We do canapés now, no starter, with sone bubbles about two to three hours before the meal.

Something sea-food-y is usually favourite. Light but tasty, that needs minimal cooking.
Salmon, prawn, scallops, mackerel pate...

We are having pate. We have had soup in the past but DH isn't overly keen so too much ends up going to waste so I've stopped making it!

Balled melon or smoked salmon on buttered brown bread for those who eat fish

Asparagus wrapped in Parma ham and grilled.

Smoked salmon . We do it platter style and serve with champagne for a light starter.

Homemade Mushroom Soup
Homemade Garlic Bread

Every bloody year.

It’s tradition Muuuum.

When I lived at home it was prawn cocktail.

Melon and ginger.

Smoked salmon on blinis.

No starters here other than green salad, if I did more than that the family would accuse me of trying to fill them up before dinner so DH and I would have more leftovers.

There are usually dishes of nuts and candy out in the living room but that's about it.

Pan fried scallops with samphire cooked in garlic butter is one of our favourites :)

Really quick and no oven space needed!

Prawn cocktail with avocado, smoked salmon, lettuce, brown bread and butter. Yum.

We've always had pate until last year when I made this gravalax www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/citrus-cured-salmon-gravadlax
Total game changer. I'm doing something similar this year.

@Tiddlywinks10

Pan fried scallops with samphire cooked in garlic butter is one of our favourites :)

Really quick and no oven space needed!

Ok I’m coming to your house 😍

Salad with that hot smoked salmon stuff

In my in-laws it's M&S crispy peaking duck pancakes.
At my parents it's smoked salmon and homemade brown bread.
At mine we do smoked salmon but with creme fraiche, fine chopped red onion and capers, food gras and brioche with fig jam, and m&s duck and truffle pate

No one else eats starters except 3 out of 8... 2 of us have prawn cocktail
The other has pate.

On Xmas day my kids can have whatever they like for breakfast.This is usually strawberry jelly and strawberries dippier in chocolate. When we crack open the chapters later we have smoked salmon on brown bread. Later we have the whole shebang and later the Xmas pud,In the evening its toasted turkey sandwiches, cheese and biscuits, choices etc. So with a decent breakfast and the smoked salmon etc, there's not much room for a starter!

God so many typos! Strawberries dipped and crack open the champers !

A side or two of gravadlax with beetroot and cucumber salad.

We always have so much for the main course that a first course is never necessary! And pudding is usually much later, too!

A side or two of gravadlax with beetroot and cucumber salad.
Sounds lovely, we might do similar on Boxing Day

Coquilles St Jacques has become our traditional starter. We had them when DD1 was a toddler, and she enjoyed it so much we did it the following Xmas. It is now expected every year. It's a great tasting and light starter, and incredibly easy as I buy them ready made... (🤫) This year's are already nestled in the freezer.

@liliainterfrutices

Melon and ginger.

Smoked salmon on blinis.

Tell me more about this melon and ginger please @liliainterfrutices. That sounds really refreshing and different.