Christmas Brunch ideas - really special

[Alexasashes]

I am hosting a Christmas brunch (6 adults) and want to serve some real showstopping dishes - it needs to be easy to help yourself and brunchy and Christmassy and not have anything that may be repeated at Christmas dinner later...

My ideas so far
Crabcakes with hollandaise sauce
Devilled eggs with caviar
Smoked salmon of some kind in a creative way
Breakfast pastries of some kind involving bacon

Open to easy good stuff too from supermarkets that anyone can recommend but don't want too many finger foods like sausage rolls.or anything

Any ideas really welcome please 🙏

What would be on your ultimate Christmas brunch?

Ooh, a potato rosti, two kinds of smoked salmon - hot smoked and normal smoked, sour cream, lengthwise strips of cucumber using a peeler (avoid the bit in the middle with the seeds as won’t hold its shape) caviar or salmon roe, potted shrimps, deep fried capers, tiny bits of lemon, good brown or rye bread and radish butter. People can decide for themselves whether to go all in or to have a light meal.

Radish butter is lovely with salmon and bread and v easy to make - put radishes through a food processor to make rubble, salt generously, put to drain on a teatowel in a colander, then wrap and squeeze out after about half an hour so it’s a lot drier. Mix with butter and taste for salt and pepper, adding more if you think it needs it. Stick it in a ramekin.

PS - buy the potato rosti from Waitrose rather than arse about making it.

Fancy French toast, I love it with apple and cinnamon.

Hi OP. I'm treating us to a full fillet of smoked salmon this year.
It's about £20 from ocado (you still only get about 200g) and we will eat it in slices on its own with champagne.

I ate it in a champagne bar 20yrs ago and I've never been able to justify the cost since! DC are old teens now and we aren't having guests for Xmas lunch, so we are all choosing the thing we like best.

I'd say thats pretty show stopper. I think we had it with caviar in the champagne bar.

Omg I want to come to your house. That sounds incredible.

Personally I would pay more attention to the presentation and ambience than the menu.
Beautiful decorations, shining cutlery and jewel coloured glassware, stunning presentation.

Christmas dinner is such a central part of the day , theres no need to compete.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pesto_christmas_tree_53067

Try this!

Super easy, spectacular to look at, everyone loves pulling a branch off 🤣

Have made it with pesto, or with tomato pizza sauce.

If it’s really fish loving family I’d do dark rye bread and smoked fish with some shell on prawns.

As a PP has suggested, I’d do the smoked salmon on Rosti

Id also serve the lovely fennel and apple salad suggested and some mushrooms cooked with garlic and thyme.

The items you have suggested sound delicious but I’d want some veges and something fresh

I think that sounds lovely.

I wouldn’t want crabcakes plus pastries with bacon. Too rich and heavy. Maybe have some pastries or pastel de nata for those who want it and skip the bacon.

My only other suggestion would be fresh berries and nice fruit. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, maybe some mango and papaya slices with lime.

Really nice coffee and tea.

Wouldn't that be lunch?

https://www.recipetineats.com/christmas-baked-salmon/

Not at all what you are after but we are having tattie scone nachos! Fried tattie scones chopped into smaller triangles, then people can load them with beans, mushrooms, cheese, bacon lardons and hollandaise sauce. Cannot wait!

So I have taken all this on board, thanks for the delicious suggestions everyone.

I have moved the time to 11.30 and chosen just one fish option, removed the bacon 🥓 and added fruit to the menu but will be keeping the eggs and fizz as its the vibe I was looking for!

I don't want to serve "lunch" it was definitely more brunch foods i had in mind... so will continue to tweak accordingly

@Alexasashes pancakes always go down well ( with the yoghurt and berries ) or maple syrup and bacon

Woah… I thought you’d already told the guests your plans and they were all on board with it?!

The power of mumsnet!! 😆

Glad you’ve taken onboard the feedback. I think that’s very sensible.

I once went to a brunch where the host served a whole side of smoked salmon as the centre piece. They put out various sides to go with it (sourdough bread, avocado, some salads etc) and scrambled some eggs. Very simple but still very “wow” because of the whole side of salmon. I’d do that with a fruit salad, yogurt and granola. Some pastries if you must but I think most people would be happy without them.

I had an inkling that you don’t host very often and so want to go all out. The things that make hosting really special are that the person hosting is happy and relaxed and enjoying the event. For me, that means a very high level of organisation, all done before the event.

As part of your menu planning work out how the food is going to be cooked and then kept hot or cold as required. Where is it going to be severed and how is that say buffet area going to be kept clean and tidy. What utensils are require to server and to eat the food. How are any spills going to be clean up without any fuss

what plates are going to be required for the food and where will there be space for them all.

I even go so far as to set out all the plates (empty) on the surfaces and work out what is needed around them. Basket of bread might need butter, knives and even salt. Or olive oil for dipping

that kind of thinkg. Get all the ‘flow’ of the meal worked out and you might find that your menu is all the better for it.

and finally (sic) enjoy the event. It will be awesome.

If you want to do eggs then Pesto eggs are lovely.

Heat a small amount of olive oil and add a jar of pesto, either red or green whichever you prefer. Once its heated through crack eggs in and very gently fry while spooning the hot pesto over the eggs. It is delicious served on buttered toasted soda bread or sourdough.