starter suggestion for tonight!

[raf_gti]

My food imagination is on strike and I can't think of a decent starer for tonight so I need your help!

I'm doing vensison steak with a red wine sauce and mashed tatties for main with a homemade chocolate pudding for dessert, all I need is the perfect starter and I'll be laughing all the way to the good books!

[clarkmagpie]

king prawns and a chilli dip?
carpaggio(SP) that thin beef stuff!

both yummy

[aaak]

Best option is fish: smoked salmon, if you've time make blinis to go with it
Prawns cocktail but make a chilli lime and coriander dip rather than a jar of Marie-rose.
If you've some of Delias books look up a twice baked souffle, use you favourite cheese in them, they're fantastic

[Wadeski]

seared scallops? dont bother with wrapping them in bacon (ruins em, dominates the flavour. its good for frozen scallops though as you will only taste the bacon).

deep fried crispy vegetables with a dip is nice.

or you could go italian style and do a pasta first course - i would make a very thin sauce from anchovies, garlic, white wine, a dash of tomato pure (concentrate), and chopped parsley. reduce the wine until not a lot of liquid is left before you add the herbs. then stir through some spaghetti with breadcrumbs. you should barely coat the spaghetti, making it a very salty, subtle dish that has you reaching for the ice cold chenin blanc you have on the table.

[Plotloss]

Warm duck and pear salad?
Parma ham and melon?
Parma ham, mozzarella and fig?
Black pudding and asparagus drizzled with a oil and raspberry vinegar dressing?
Whitebait?
Pumpkin and basil tartlets?


Theres a few to be going on with.

[Rude Girl]

Plotloss said:

Black pudding and asparagus drizzled with a oil and raspberry vinegar dressing?

Bloody hell that sounds good.

[lazy_b]

OK, probably a bit late for tonight, but...

Had black pudding and apple for a starter at a restaurant once; must have been good because I still remember it. Cubes of black pudding and apple (cooking apple?), threaded on to short wooden skewers, then battered and deep fried. Yum