Starter to go with Lamb shanks, suggestions please!

[Willabywallaby]

I've got friends coming for dinner on Saturday, I've decided to do Nigella Lawson's Lamb shanks with beans out of her express book, but am stuck for what to do for a starter.

Don't do dinner parties much .

Any suggestions gratefully received!

asparagus soup? quick, easy, can do it beforehand and warm it up?

or we had a bit a blue cheese salad thing when we had lamb shanks the other night (ie we ate what was in the fridge cos we were starving waiting for shanks to cook!)

Smoked mackerel pate - so easy. 2 packs of peppered smoked mackerel fillets whizzed up with 3/4 a pack of cream cheese ( i use Sainsbury's own) and add lemon juice to taste
. You can add mre cream cheese if you like it more creamy. I serve with toast melba toast and breadsticks in individual ramekins. This serves about 6.

Thanks for the suggestions, don't like smoked mackerel so the mousse was out. I did asparagus with hollandaise sauce (chilled one from sainsbury's). All seemed to go down ok!

well done!