what to make for christmas starter/dessert without functioning oven

[manymanymany]

On Christmas day we're eating with my parents who are massive foodies, my mum is a completely brilliant (trained) cook. They're doing the main course and we've been asked to do the starter and dessert. I'd be so grateful to hear suggestions for what we might make - it has to be very special and can be challenging but our oven thermostat is broken and only works at the very highest setting, and my mum is allergic to most shellfish except prawns and lobsters. So please all you lovelies, tell me of the most spectacular starters and desserts you've experienced (that I can get the recipes for!) and that don't need to be cooked in an oven other than at a very high temperature. Thank you!

For a starter, play safe and have excellent quality salmon

For puddings, how about posh trifle?

My favourite is a lobster bisque, which is surprisingly easy to do with some truffle fried bread croutons.

For dessert I love Eton mess.

Merry Christmas 🎄

Pudding, lemon posset, cream, lemons, sugar. Hear the cream to scalding, add sugar and dissolve in cream, add neon juice and zest it will thicken. Pour into wine glasses or ramekins. Serve with shortbread (shop bought) and some raspberries.

Do you have a slow cooker? For pudding a slow cooked lava chocolate cake is a winner! Serve it with some vanilla ice cream topped with shredded dark chocolate and a some chocolate sauce. Yum!! 😋😋

Prawn cocktail to start & trifle for pudding

Another vote for a salmon starter, perhaps an unusual cut such as Kinglas fillet, have a look at Loch Fyne website for ideas.
Serve with a sour cream and caviar garnish.

For pudding perhaps caramel fresh orange slices with orange liqueur cream and a pomegranate seed garnish, you could serve it with a glass of fizz with floating pomegranate seeds.
Transport the orange slices, sauce and cream separately and put together on arrival at the venue.

Prawn Cocktail? Melon and Parma Ham?

Then you could have ice cream and a spiced fruit sauce.

We are having lemon cheesecake for pudding which DD will make the night before.

We dont normally have a starter .. but how about a cheesecake for dessert ?

I'm making tiramisu for pudding as we never eat Christmas pudding after our dinner and I'm usually still trying to get rid of it a month later. My tiramisu is legend and may contain a considerable quantity of finest Scilian marsala wine!
We are just having smoked salmon with dill creme fraiche as a starter as anything heavier fills us up too much before main course. Neither of those requires cooking at all

Prawn/lobster cocktail. Zabaglione.

@AdaColeman my mum used to make those lively caramelised oranges (tho' back in the day without pomegranate seeds...) had quite forgotten them! How delicious, thank you for reminding me. I might make them in memory of her this Christmas. X

This is a foodie’s version on prawn cocktail, which I make when I am hosting a posh dinner party:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/smoked-salmon-prawns-horseradish-cream-lime-vinaigrette/amp

For dessert I would make a boozy tiramisu (with Amaretto, no other alcohol will do). Make it the day before, as it tastes better the next day.

mmm, this thread has my mouth watering, but it's also left me wondering.... how are you going to manage the main course?

@Wilkolampshade
So pleased that I re awoke happy memories of your Mum, for you. Have a lovely Christmas, even though the times are dark.

Starter gravadlax with rye bread and dill sauce, or smoked trout with horseradish or lingonberry.
Pudding- home made chocolate pots or chocolate mousse in glasses- can be prepared the day before. Be sure to serve with gold leaf.

I'm making Nigella chestnut chocolate pots, it's essentially cream, dark chocolate and pureed chestnuts (if you can't find sweetened ones just add some icing sugar to the unsweetened. All you need is a hob/microwave and a blender, they need to set in the fridge for a couple of hours or can be made a day or two in advance. They are quite rich, but you can serve with whipped cream with a little brandy and Clementine zest (not Nigella but tastes good and extra christmassy)

Oh and an egg

Smoked salmon on some nice pumpernickel or rye bread.

Chocolate mousse

Melt some really really nice dark chocolate in a bain marie. While that's melting, separate one egg person plus maybe another 2 eggs (be lavish). Beat egg whites till stiff.

Flavour the chocolate (I add a tad of vanilla essence, but you could add brandy? - only a tiny bit), let it cool a wee bit, and quickly beat in half of the egg yolks, then fold half of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate, then pour the mixture into the bowl with the other half of the egg whites and mix lightly but thoroughly.

If you want to make it really really rich, you can also fold in whipped double cream.

I remember once in a restaurant in suburban Paris, having the chef basically make this on the spot. It's lovely.

We’re having little gem lettuce leaves filled with prawn cocktail (like to have starters before sitting down to the table so cutlery and plate free) and a Baileys tiramisu trifle

QueenoftheAir

Snap thinking!

Jamie Oliver smoked trout pate for starters. Some kind of fancy trifle for dessert?

@Chickenwing

Prawn cocktail to start & trifle for pudding

That’s what I’m doing! Very retro with prawn cocktail in martini glasses and my family favourite Orange and ginger trifle in a cut glass bowl. trifle

@speakout