Christmas lunch - starters - give me some ideas please.

[sandyballs]

Nothing fishy, as DH and DD have convinced themselves they are allergic .

Usually have soup, but it is quite filling and a bit dull.

What do you lot usually have?

We don't usually do starters, but a very simple, not filling one is hard boiled quails eggs and celery salt. Boil and peel eggs day before - present on plate with small bowl of celery salt to dunk in!

having a starter before the hugest meal of the entire year is madness in my opinion.
xmas dinner si big enough, you do not need a starter

we ususally do melon or grapefruit. i know is v 70s but is light nough and means we can start at the time the dgps think the meal ought to start!!

Our starter is a glass of sherry
There is no way I would have room for a starter as well as a huge Christmas dinner and pudding!

agree no starter necessary ...

we sometimes defer Christmas pudding to Boxing Day if we are too full as well ...

My kids demand prawn cocktail! Its the only time of the year I'll agree to 'make' it - no good for fish allergists though

Sometimes melon but usually smoked salmon and prawn cocktail. It's a long-standing tradition that will never stop in our house!!! Also, half the christmas chocs have been broken into by the time dinner is ready!!

we dont do starter

We do have crisps - specail ones and unsalted nuts to nibble with a glass of wine before we sit down.

Orange juice with cherry on a cocktail stick?

melon and palmer ham? with a cherry on a stick over the boat of melon?

Christams pudding is to important so you must leave some dinner to fit it in

Boxing day christmas pudding is fried in icing sugar

i love smoked salmon

i also do a lovely "exotic melon cocktail" but it has crab meat in it.

sorry that's not much help!

How about soft boiled Quail eggs and asparagus ?

we have starters , then main, then cheese/ fruit , then pud, and then coffees and brandys then cakes... none of us are stuffed.. but dinner does take a long time.. with a little bit of everything

We do melon slices with some prosciutto or parma ham very simple and not filling.
When dad was alive and sitting to dinner we only had the melon

I usually just do melon and picky things but then we have a break before the main course.

I'm always too full up after Xmas lunch to have any pudding, god knows what I'd be like if we had a starter. I suppose the 'eating an entire selection box before 9am' tradition might be the problem....

we soemtimes con't have the pud till about 5 oclock!

I never do starters at all. It's a big meal!
The only thing I might consider are a few M&S canapes with a glass of champagne.

When we were little we always had Egg Mayonaise, so 80's but fab! Hard boiled eggs on a plate, hugh dollop of salad cream / mayonaise on top, scattering of cayenne pepper on top and crisp iceberg lettuce alongside

Now posh and have scampi and salmon

Agree - meal too big to have starters.

We do put out some nuts for guests to have with champers when they arrive.

I just do canapes after church with champagne - fab. That's around 1ish then lunch is at 3.10!

I quite like a melony medley. Var easy to prepare too

Melony Medley - sounds like a pop star!

A fruit cocktail of usually strawberries, melon and mango. Yum!

the new hannah montana

oh thank you - thats really good, my dd will love that one

Pate and oat cakes with a little salad and cranberry. Plated up beforehand.

or

a little puff pastry square with tomato topping. indiviual versions of this Cook before and allow to cool. I just spread some sundried tomato paste on the pastry, place on tomatos, drizzle with olive oil and bit of cheese and basil leaves cut fine.