what would you put in a seafood platter

[Shinyshoes1]

Thinking of doing a seafood platter Christmas Eve. Something light as they'll be days of carbing and scoffing and general overeating.

I don't want to order the M&S one as the reviews are not good but want to do something similar.

It's to feed 6

So far I am thinking
Large tiger/madagascan Prawns
4x 1/2 lobster

that's all i've come up with so far....enlighten me please

Languistines, welks, mussels, smoked salmon. This is what we normally have and another shell fish that I can't think of at this moment. If you like them perhaps you stretch to oysters.

Crab
I'd do more lobster unless you know that 2/6 people won't eat it.
You can't have too many prawns IMHO. A mix of smaller prawns with langoustines is fine.

I would only get whelks and mussels if you know they will be eaten as not everyone likes them. What about scallops as well?

all great ideas.....can scallops be eaten straight from the platter or do they need to be cooked first then put back in the shells back on the platter and the same question goes for the mussels.

Hot smoked salmon.
Crayfish

I would cook the scallops and mussels first and then put a pot of garlicky mayonnaise on the table.

Smoked mackerel, smoked trout and smoked eel are all delicious eaten cold. You might have a bit of a hard time getting hold of the latter two though, I don't think they're commonly eaten in this country?

Smoked trout is readily available. You can buy cold smoked trout in Morrisons. You can also buy prepacked smoked fish selections.

Not in my Morrisons, but then I do live in the arse end of nowhere, so I'll readily concede it's probably not like this everywhere :o

I don't exactly live in the metropolis myself and not exactly in a part of the world that is known for its exquisite culinary tastes (rural South Yorkshire)

Decent smoked salmon, maybe gravadlax too, smoked mackerel and ready-dressed crab are all a lot cheaper and just as delicious. Then you can splash out on lobster, prawns and langoustines, and - my favourite - oysters. Raw oysters just with lemon or shallots in red wine vinegar. Our wholesale fishmonger sells huge oysters for 30-40p each, so much cheaper than they used to be. A pot of moules mariniere would be fabulous, maybe some of those big green-lipped mussels bought already cooked.

Grilled oysters are fabulous too and make them go a bit further, somehow. Also good if everyone not keen on them raw, like dh. We always have a platter of them on half shell, topped with a splash of cream, black pepper and a little grated parmesan, then under v hot grill for 5 mins. With a bottle of something nice and some crusty bread it makes a fabulous Christmas eve meal for us in front of the fire. I think this was in a Nigel Slater book, and I love them even more than raw oysters. Could do similar with scallops by buying them in half shell if possible(or in small ramekins if not) then put under grill with a dab of chilli and garlic butter.

Anyway, digressing a bit, sorry. Prepare all the cold fish, and I do things for grilling a couple of hours ahead and in fridge. Easy sides of crusty bread, lots of lemon wedges, home-made mayo done the day before if you have time. Bottle of tabasco. Maybe some green salad. Good quality sorbet, ice-cream and little biscuits for pudding.

Hmmm, I'm hungry now

Sorry for excessive use of the word "fabulous"...

Sainsbury's (and no doubt other supermarkets too)do frozen packs of mixed seafood which might go some way towards solving the problem with not too much effort. Also smoked salmon - Sainsbury's do packs of smoked salmon trimmings which are cheaper and absolutely fine for a seafood platter.

Those frozen mixed packets are vile, IMHO. The prawns are fine but the scallops amd mussels taste of cardboard. I'd rather have less of decent fresh stuff if money is a factor.

If you have a Chinese store anywhere near you can big packs of frozen uncooked langoustines which are pretty good, and a lot cheaper than from supermarkets (not sure how ethically sourced they are, mind you).

Oh, can you tell me more about the bad reviews please?

I was going to get one for Christmas day but there are some fab ideas here so might just go diy since we live on the coast and can easily get lots of lovely things.