Whether you’re having the whole extended family round or you’re keeping it small this Christmas, it’s the perfect day to wow your guests (and yourself) with some amazing pre-turkey dishes. We’ve rounded up some of the best fish starters you could try on Christmas Day that isn’t just your traditional prawn cocktail.
Pan-fried scallops
This special seafood starter not only appears incredibly impressive, but it’s also really quick and easy to make so you’ve got more time for present unwrapping and holiday cheer. You can make this dish your own by adding whatever seasoning or accompaniments you like. Keep it simple yet zesty with lime and coriander scallops or pull out all the stops and add some crispy pancetta, watercress and lemon crème fraîche. Delightful! Buy your scallops online here!
Smoked salmon terrine
This luxurious salmon starter showcases not one, but two completely different styles of smoked salmon – the thin, jewel-coloured slices of cold-smoked salmon with which we’re all familiar, and the meatier hot-smoked salmon which has chunky pale pink coloured flesh and a burnished exterior. Just remember – you need to make it at least six hours before serving so it’s probably a Christmas Eve job!
Here’s the full smoked salmon terrine recipe.
Salmon en croute
Does it get more festive than salmon en croute? Delectable salmon wrapped up in its very own Christmas pastry parcel? Yes please! If you want an impressive Christmas salmon dish that can be prepared and cooked in less than an hour, this is the one for you. You can create a large salmon en croute for sharing which makes for an impressive Christmas Day centrepiece or even make individual salmon en croute parcels for that personal touch.
Prawn, avocado and chilli bruschetta
These tasty bites work especially as a Christmas Day starter or a festive party canapé. The simple yet delicious marinade of lemon juice, chilli and coriander only serves to enhance the flavour of the prawns and ends up soaking into the bread to create a scrumptious yet light starter. Atlantic peeled prawns work well for this dish but you can use any you like!
An impressive fish platter
If you want to make a statement on your dining table then an impressive fish platter will do the trick. The best thing about this dish is you get to choose which fish you include! You can create an oven-roasted platter with things such as tempura prawns, salt and pepper squid or breaded crab claws. Or you can keep it cool with something like a cold smoked trout and prawns platter. Your guests can just grab a spoon and dig in for a laid-back festive feel!
Lobster thermidor
We may have saved the best for last here. This French dish of lobster meat is cooked in a rich wine sauce, stuffed back into a lobster shell, and browned. The sauce is often a mixture of egg yolks and brandy, served with an oven-browned cheese crust, typically Gruyère. But again, you can make it your own. One of our favourite lobster thermidor recipes uses fish stock, white wine, single cream and Dijon mustard for the sauce. So decadent!
