Your best ever starter recipe please

[Marthame]

What's your best ever starter recipe please? I need some inspiration!

Starter is dependent on the main. What are you cooking?

What are you making for main?

I don't know yet, I was going to think of that when I get a nice starter I like.

Who for?
How many?
Any occasion?

Need more info OP. Cannot possibly advise without detail!

We were talking about this today at work - favourites were

Pate and toast
Baked Camembert
Jalapeño poppers
French onion soup with gruyere cheese croutons

I love antipasti - nothing too big or heavy and definitely not soup.

Camembert hedgehog bread

Chelsea I'm having a pointless online major strop with you now. I went into M&S today as I had a sudden craving for French Onion soup. No dice. No deal. "We haven't had it in for ages." Why? Just why? "You can always ring us in the morning." Er no. I think I'll just go to Tesco instead....

And you just had to mention it here.

So sod the lot of you, I'm going to make my own tomorrow.

Indian : samosas and bhajis
Greek : spanakopita or Jamie Oliver easy flatbreads with various dips (houmous, melitzanosata, fava bean)
Italian : a spread of antipasti

I don’t often bother with a starter though.

Oh I’m sorry twitter! If it makes you feel any better I want to eat ALL of the things I mentioned above now and I have a veggie stir fry instead

Pate stuffed mushrooms
Individual roast veg tarts
Soup & crusty bread
Scallops, chorizo & pea purée
Scallops & black pudding
Bruschetta
Chorizo bubble & squeak, poached egg & hollandaise

The BEST starter I've ever had was a Gordon Ramsay one my friends made once. I must admit when they were making it I was thinking 'umm. Not sure I'll like this' but it was lovely. It was with crab meat, a mango based salsa and salad. I think you could find it on Pinterest. The crab is mixed with other stuff and wrapped in little iceberg lettuce leaves and the combo with the salsa was awesome.

My husband would say goats cheese wrapped in Parma ham and fried till crispy/melted with rocket and balsamic dressing

I like pan fried scallops with black pudding and salad

Parfait mmm - make ahead
Goats cheese mmm
Scallops mmm

I agree with others though, your meal needs to flow...

I like veg based starters, cauliflower based in a Stilton crumb, butternut squash falafels or a fig and Gorgonzola salad.

Antipasti always good as there will be something everyone likes & it's less formal to share. Along with some lovely fresh bread & good butter. Mmmmm.

I haven't done this yet but I like the idea of a middle eastern mezze, lots of bowls of food for people to take from and put on their plates...

Roasted Cauliflower tahini salad
Finely chopped onion cucumber tomatoes with parsley and dressing
Hummus
Olives and of course

Good bread!

If this was to prequel lamb or chicken - maybe with in season pomegranate - and say, cous cous- that would be 👌🏽

cheddar souffles or with pea puree (I skip the mint)

That was scallops with pea purée by the way!

Depends how many people and what you’re having for main.

My favs are:

Civeche
Gravalax - start 3-4 days ahead
Pate
Water melon, feta and mint salad
Scallops with bacon and a pea purée
Goats cheese and balsamic onion tart
Middle eastern mezze
Antipasti selection with focassia bread and oils and vinegar
Bruschetta is lovely when you get in good tomatos
A nice soup with crusty bread

Things like scallops I prob wouldn’t do for more than 4 people, too hard to get all done at the same time (for me).

Stuff like soup, the watermelon salad, mezze, gravalax, antipasti is a piece of piss for a crowd as can all be made ahead and just served.

endive salad with walnuts and blue cheese: delicious but light enough not to fill one up. Also very easy

I also like mezze- aubergine thing, hummus, spiced carrot puree, home made bread

I adore chicken liver pate but I think some people are squeamish about it

Garlic creamy mushrooms on brioche.

Baked Camembert
Warm goats cheese salad
Bacon and black pudding with peppercorn sauce
Pate.
Antipasti

pomegranate, pistachio and olive relish with labneh. Served with pitta or flatbreads.

@Aethelthryth oh yes, good shout on endive salad!