Starter for Roast Beef

[lifeinagoldfishbowl]

Have decided to do roast beef and all the trimming for Christmas dinner - there will be 8 of us. However we will need a starter before hand.

So what do you serve as a starter before beef?

:)

I'm doing the same, and was in two minds about a starter at all, given the amount of food I'll be expecting them to shovel down during lunch

I will probably hand around home made hot cheese straws about 30-45 minutes before lunch is ready. Though this will depend on having a spare oven to cook the cheese straws, beef, roasties and yorkshire pudding in as well. Hmm

I'm doing beef wellington, and will be doing home-made pate, oatcakes and chutney as a first course, then a little lobster/ prawn/ smoked salmon medley for a fish course beforehand.

Log of Chevre. Chop into 1cm slices. Grill. Serve on salad with puy lentils (warm) and warm redcurrant jelly / damson jam (whatever my MiL has made, basically). Goes amazingly well with red wine, which you'll be serving with the beef anyway.

Only works if all 8 of you like goats cheese though, which is not always the case.

Quick to throw together but also gives you perfect excuse for quiet kitchen sherry before the madness begins.

These sound yummy - I love cheese straws!

Why not just fresh fruit such as melon etc? It's not very filling and won't leave your guests stuffed and sluggish.

jooly - sounds gorgeous. what pate are you doing and how far in advance are you making it?

Depends what time you are eating, but I prefer to do canapes/nibbles with some Prosecco around midday and then eat lunch at 3ish.

Smoked fish canapes go down well - blinis with chopped hard boiled egg/cheats caviar, sour cream smoked salmon dill and lemon and chicory boats with homemade smoked mackerel pate. Plus crisps,dips and nuts esp for the DC.

Taffeta- your starters sound lovely, but do you not think it's a bit too filling and rich for just a starter?

I know it's only one day of the year but it also sounds very expensive.

Its not expensive. Not real caviar! The pretend stuff. I use smoked salmon trimmings, which are a basics item, and homemade smoked mackerel pate doesn't use much mackerel.

Its only filling if you gorge yourself on it, the blinis are cocktail size, they are one tiny mouthful. Have one each of the canapes over an hour or so period ( not a starter )and then eat at 3. ish. I even buy the Prosecco much earlier in the year when its on offer!

We do boiled eggs stuffed with parmesan and anchovies, garnished with fennel.

Smoked salmon with creme fraiche dressing.

In this case I agree with fishy starters. But if you're doing roast beef for Sunday lunch, the only acceptable starter is a strong Bloody Mary.

Sounds lovely but I think I'll stick to fruit. Nice and refreshing