Christmas Starter/Nibble Selection

[SPR1107]

Just looking for some inspiration.

My parents are cooking Christmas dinner for us, my siblings and our children... 23 in total.

Instead of a starter, they've decided to just put on some 'nice' nibbles for people to pick at. I've said to them that I'll sort this, so one less thing for them to do.

Other than the normal, bread sticks, hummus, crisps, dip etc. Has anyone got any ideas please?

Will you have access to an oven or will it be cold?

We only live 4/5 miles away, so could easily cook something at home before we head over @purplecorkheart

Olives
Slices of chorizo
Pretzels
Gherkins
Pickled onions
Vegetable crisps - parsnip, carrot, beetroot...
Slices of Brie
Bombay mix
Salted nuts
Cheese straws
Fig and blue cheese skewers

Canapes (sorry f not the right spelling!)

• if!

Gotta include Delia's sausage rolls. You can make them now and freeze them.
Smoked salmon on bread or blinis is also essential Christmas fare to me.
I wouldn't do too much, you don't actually want to fill people up.

Smoked salmon & blinis and Brie & cranberry Filo parcels. Yum!

I like seafood before Christmas lunch - it’s light and luxurious

Maybe some little crab or lobster rolls? On mini toasted brioche mixed with celery mayo cayenne etc

Or a home made chicken liver pate served on thin toasted sourdough with a chopped cornichon

Little sausages for DC

Smoked salmon and blinis! Super easy but also seems a bit more eventful than some breadsticks and hummus .... which I'm eating as a snack on an average Monday night.

I saw someone on here suggesting small slices of pizza as a starter on Christmas Day!

Smoked salmon

Thin brown bread, butter it, lay smoked salmon over it and then cut into diamonds. Tiny sprig of dill on each diamond.

Mini quiches - make in your mince pie tins.

Cocktail stick - cherry tomato, cube of mozarella, folded basil leaf, cube of mozarella, cherry tomato. Lay a load on a plate drizzle with ev olive oil and a grind of black pepper.

Small plain crackers with cubes of cheddar.

Twiglets, cheese straws, olives, cornichons, vol au vents?

Nigella has an interesting recipe for 'whipped feta' in her 'At My Table' book... sounds weird but basically you whip up feta cheese with a bit of greek yoghurt and lemon juice to loosen it and it goes into a sort of creamy consistency. Spread on crispbreads or little toasts and decorate prettily with thin sliced cucumber or radish or scatter over toasted pine nuts or walnuts, or little leaves of dill. Looks quite fancy and not much effort (you could whip the feta at home in advance and then just spread on the day).

I would echo the suggestions of seafood also, perhaps some hot or cold tiger prawns (shell on for the adventurous or made into a prawn cocktail for the more conventional!). A big pork pie served with piccalilli can make a lovely centre piece for a christmas buffet (buy from the butchers or deli, don't bother to make!). And finally don't forget the cheeseboard!