Dinner party dilemma: Which starter goes with chicken pie?

[MissMoiselle]

Hi all! Some advice needed and all suggestions welcome! Having a small lunch party and decided to make a creamy chicken/leek/sweetcorn pie for main as i can make most of it beforehand and pop it in the oven when guest arrive. Guests will bring dessert. They are big eaters so I'm thinking about having a starter as well but have no idea what goes with my chicken pie?
Help please!
(Note: we're not in the UK so no covid restrictions in my country of residence...)

You can’t have pie and salad ! Pie has to be with potatoes and vegetables.

Just canapés, no starter. Far easier for you too.

I too have never eaten rice or salad with pie & find it a bit odd. What’s the chicken pie like, is it encased with pastry? What sort of pastry? I generally serve no carb with a pie with lots of pastry, but if I do, it has to be mash. Then a selection of veg.

@Deux spot on! I live in Spain (though not Spanish), where rice is just always on the table so maybe I should try and keep my meal more traditional and go with mash and green beans.
Thanks for the heads-up @AmandaHoldensLips, I will be extra cautious if I ever move to England

@DannyGlickWindowTapping intrigued by the Parmesan cookies!! They'd go great with Serrano ham! Thanks!

@Chewbecca pie is served in a deep dish and only covered in puff pastry. I'll definitely swap my no-no side dishes and go with mash and green beans instead.

Mash and green beans will be great.

Do you still have peaches in season? I love peach chunks wrapped in Serrano ham as a canapé.

I think if your guests are used to local cuisine too then they will probably be just as happy with rice and salad.

It’s just cold and dreary in UK and the thought of a delicious pie without potatoes and green beans/peas/carrots is... well, just unthinkable really!!

Light and crunchy ... to contrast the pie.
Crudités, melon and Serrano ...

I'd keep it small and delicate :

Potted shrimps
Small crostini
Small Ramekin of watercress / potato soup

Nice to have seafood aswell if you are having chicken pie.

If you are doing pudding I would do Ottolenghi poached pears in white wine and cardamon !

Figs? In October?

Goats cheese on a bed of rocket with walnuts and a drizzle of honey is my starter on Friday.

MASH and green beans???
All is right with the world once more!

@Daisydoesnt

Figs? In October?

Pretty sure there were figs in M&S the other day.

Figs? In October?

OP isn't in the U.K.

They are delicious! And only 3 ingredients. I can't do links, but if you Google "3 ingredient parmesan cookie", the recipe I use is by the "petite cook".

We have figs here in Spain, so I'll probably go figs with Serrano ham. Someone suggested peaches and Parma ham as well which also sounds lovely! I'm sure I saw some at the market last sunday. I'll keep a camembert in the fridge just in case
Thank you, all you lovely people for your suggestions and getting me on the right track with my choice of side dishes.

Oh I love peaches & Parma ham.

If you want slightly less stodgy then boiled baby new potatoes will be ok too I reckon 😁 I still have figs on my tree here in England btw!

I love the rice and salad side dish idea! I have never understood the British fondness for pie and mash -- too heavy. Potatoes belong IN the pie not on the side

I'd do a fish pate with melba toast to start.

Garlicky green beans and mash with the pie

I’d go baby potatoes and tender stem broccoli with the pie.

Figs topped with mozzarella or feta then wrapped in Parma ham and baked for 15 mins is one of my quick and easy go to starters, even tastier than their constituent parts.

I love the idea of rice and salad with pie! Maybe I should move to Spain!

(And for starters I’d have cocktails..)!

You could serve the salad as the starter with some cheese, figs, etc.

Then greens with the pie. Rice is fine - people have pie & additional starch all the time