What is your favouritest ever starter in the whole wide world?

[Picante]

Looking for inspiration!!

What's wrong with octopus? OK, squids/prawns then.

Pea risotto v good; asparagus risotto even better.

I don't like cheesy starters. They are too filling.

asparagus

garlic mushrooms!

And I think there is a reason why cheese is typically served at the end of a meal - it is hard to digest, so if you eat it first, it means the rest of the meal has to follow it, making digestion even harder.

Asparagus is an excellent starter but hard to find in December!

Abything involving shellfish and garlic.

I'm off eel these days, after reading the Hugh F-W fish book. Shame as smoked eel is delicious.

cheese is filling too isn't it

I love pate and I'm going out for dinner tonight so might just have to have it now . This thread is making me hungry.

I don't think you can beat a nice crisp green salad for a starter. With rock salt yum. Is not served that often as I think people think it's too plain. And bread.

mmmmmm lots of my favourites already mentioned

soup
pate
tricolore salad
garlic mushrooms
twice baked cheese souffle
italian meats
red onion and goats cheese tart

Ok now I have too much choice.

What's the best one to make in advance and heat at the last minute?

lotsa smelly starters here

scallops.
a-la- barefoot contessa - gratin scallops with pernod - can be done individually , so as a finger food.

God they are to die for.

I like finger food - scallops, big prawns etc etc

Stichelton custards with tomato and fennel coulis and little toasts

Garlic and chilli prawns served in individual baby pans, dripping with butter and olive oil, with loads of fresh crusty bread to slurp up the juices

Seared scallops served in a Yorkshire pudding drizzled with beurre blanc, with dressed salad leaves on the side

God, these are all horrendously piggish! I do mostly serve salads as starters, but you did asked for my favourites!

Cheese as a starter, main and dessert really gets me going..... Yum.

Goats cheese parcels are lovely - those barrels of cheese chopped up and wrapped in ready made pastry. Keep in fridge then wack in oven once needed.

Or asparagus wrapped in proscuitto (sp?), baked and sprinkled with parmesan.

Or giant mushrooms filled with crumbly cheese, sprinkled with nuts then baked.

Yum.

Dp took me to a lovley indian resturant for my birthday. We had a lamb starter, just looked on the website and it say's it was diced lamb fillet marinated in crushed black pepper and mint... Wow it was good!

I prefer starters to puds! Anything with goats cheese and caramalised onions does it for me! Am a bit of a cheese face, so love breaded cheese too, as long as it has something yummy to dip it in.

Also, dependent on weather, a good soup and roll with tonnes of butter isn't too shoddy!

mild Goats cheese, pomegranate dressing, beetroot sliced very thinly and rolled up over the goats cheese with an orange citrus dressing....sublime.....

Cream of watercress soup, with fresh warm bread, and butter.

Oysters... yum
no preparation involved Picante apart from a little shalot vinegar

scallops - with chilli and garlic, or on celeriac puree, or anyhow really so long as they're not overcooked and rubbery.

prawns/langoustines good too - again provided they're cooked just right

deep fried brie, or camembert or mozzarella.

Anything cheesy deep fried....

ooh yes deep fried brie or Camembert with an onion marmalade

Smoked salmon thingies stuffed with salmon mousse
Soup but only a small bowl
And a very 80s one that I have always loved, hardboiled eggs with mayo and lumpfish roe and brown bread.

Tartlets with veggie fillings, mainly cheese based eg. caramalised onion and goats cheese