Pescatarian for Christmas dinner - Gravy?

[IvyHollyberry]

This is taking up too much room in my head.

I’ve asked and they said they will eat around not to make a fuss just for them!

I’m going to have to make a little fuss otherwise they’ll be having a very dry plate of veggies and stuffing balls.

Will practice doing roast potatoes in olive oil and ditch the animal fat ones so we’ll all have those, no fuss.

Gravy needs to be special just for them - do I make this using fish stock, I’m not convinced it goes with sage & onion and cranberry sauce. I know the guest loves my homemade cranberry. Would veggie stock be better? Am overseas so can’t guarantee I can get a tub of pescatarian suitable ready made gravy.

Then I feel bad our guest will be eating only side dishes. Poaching or pan frying a fillet of fish is no trouble really. Not sure it will go with gravy thinking a herb or wine sauce may be better? Fish encroute could go only the guest dislikes pastry so that’s out.

Then I think I should add other vegetable sides that better go with fish? We usually have roast potatoes, honey roast parsnips, roast onions, carrot swede mash, boiled sprouts, carrots, baby potatoes, sage &onion stuffing balls and cranberry sauce. Also tempeh but guest dislikes texture so won’t have.

Then I think our guest will be uncomfortable that we’ve made too much fuss even though it’s not really a fuss and I should stick with olive oil roasted spuds and a pescatarian suitable gravy.

And around it goes in my head. Please make it stop, someone tell me what to do and then I don’t need to think about it until nearer the time.

I'm a pescatarian and personally I love salmon as part of a roast dinner! I'd also be happy with just the veg, as long as there was a good choice and plenty available. I'm not a gravy fan but love cranberry sauce and horseradish with roast veg.

Fry some fish ( thick white meaty ) up with some butter , splash of white wine - perhaps use sage as the herb. So it’s a simple sauce - no gravy
most of the veggies would go fine

I would not include fish in any way. No need and I don't think it goes with a roast.

Use veggie gravy granules. If you feel like it, make them a little vegetarian alternative to the meat offerings (store bought nut roast, little vegetarian pie or tart would be absolutely fine with me).

Sorry it's stressing you out! I'm sure your guest will be delighted with whatever you provide as you obviously care a lot about making it nice for them.

It really, really does - salmon, sea bass, bream, trout, and plenty more are delicious with roast potatoes and all the sides. Standard fare in our household.

Who wouldn’t have swede mash, sprouts and boiled potatoes with fish?

what is the difference between fish with chips and fish with roast pots ?

of course if all goes !

I can’t do gravy and fish… Roast spuds are a million times better with gravy 🤷🏼‍♀️

Just roast some vegetarian sausages separately. Everything else is easily made vegetarian. I wouldn’t want fish on my Christmas dinner.

The people you know, then, aren’t just not being strict - they’re not actually vegetarian or pescatarian either!

Just buy either a veggie main or something like salmon en croute (check that the pastry doesn't include animal fat or lard).

We will have one veggie and one pescatarian, so will be offering a veg wellington (suggested by them) this year in addition to the meat based offerings. For gravy, either offer a relevant sauce, or just have a veggie gravy (we will have a meat based one as we like using the juices, and a veg one). Neither is a fan of roasties or sprouts, so we are offering an alternative there (they are family and we know what they like anway!).

Might be worth asking what they would like to eat, rather than trying to guess?

NO gravy for fish! That conjures an awful vision.

Just make or buy a lemon & butter or parsley sauce.
Roast your spuds in sunflower oil & serve all other veg alongside.

No meat or pigs in blankets and away you go. It’s not difficult.

Salmon. And an appropriate sauce to go with it. Buy one if need be.

Not gravy. Ever.

I would do them a veggie main that goes with all the sides you already have planned. But roast type thing. Then do vegetarian or onion gravy for all. Then that is everyone happy without you having to try and keep things seperate. I think potatoes are just as nice done in oil as animal fat anyway. Then for pudding just avoid gelatine.

If they’re pescatarian, I don’t think it means fish has to be a compulsory part of every meal!

I make onion gravy for my pescatarian parents (for a non-fish meal).

Fry some onions in light olive oil until they’re brown and tender. This can also have some finely grated garlic, thyme, bay leaf, etc for flavour.

Add a heaped dessert spoon of plain flour and continue to stir/cook through.

Add a large glass of white wine. Stir, it should be an oniony paste at this point.

Add enough vegetable stock to make it the correct consistency, stir.

Take out the hard herbs.

Can be frozen, or can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days and reheated.

Red onion gravy is delicious and usually vegetarian or vegan (just check it hasnt been made with beef stock). Buy a ready made pouch and warm it up to go with the vegetables and maybe a veggie main. No fish!

I’d get something like a ready made salmon dish. No gravy needed for fish.

Do not make a fish stock gravy, just that sounds absolutely horrific, plain old Bisto will be fine! Gravy, Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, veggies, potatoes all sounds great. That’s my perfect lunch, don’t worry about meat alternatives as lots of non meat eaters don’t like them. Listen to your guest and what they are telling you, don’t ignore their wishes!

I would do vegetarian gravy and roast the potatoes in trex as it makes them really crispy (I use this despite not being vegetarian). I wouldn’t do salmon for a pescatarian as the majority of salmon in the UK is farmed and kept in appalling conditions so probably wouldn’t sit well for someone not eating food for animal welfare reasons.

Well indeed but Christmas dinner is a special meal and just veggies seems a bit boring - no “centrepiece “

I'd do them a salmon en croute. They can have that with all of the roast veggies.
I'm not pescatarian but had this one year and much preferred it to Turkey or beef!

For roast potatoes I’d use 75/25 mix of sunflower oil and light olive oil. Olive oil has a lower burning point, so gets a certain taste if it gets too hot, mixing it with vegetable oil means you can get it hot enough to crisp your potatoes.

Do not mess about with fish. Just do vegetarian as so much of Christmas dinner can be vegetarian

i always make a cauliflower cheese , and in my book with veggie stuffing, bistro gravy and roast pots and roast veg that makes a perfectly decent meal. I sometimes do a ready made nutroast too that I can squeeze in the oven next to the meat tray. The Riverford one is very good.

the pescatarian thing is just a red herring (😬😜) I would do vegetarian for them

that would also work provided there is some highlight to their dinner

I know they said don’t worry - that’s just good manners speaking

My point was that the op could provide a vegetarian ‘centrepiece’, if she’s worried about what to do with fish. It doesn’t have to be fish! There are many lovely vegetarian Christmas dinner options.

Oh and if it’s under seasoned or too pale, I add a dash of soy sauce.