starter ideas

[pugwash4x4]

6 good friends together for dinner tomorrow evening.

Am cooking a very slow cooked aged beef and wine pie with dauphinoise for main followed by chocolate souffles.

Struggling with the started though. Needs to be light, and importantly something that can be prepped in advance, but will still look and taste damn impressive- the main is going to be quite rich but "rustic", so something light and "haute" would be good.

any ideas?

[Simpo Two]

If I said 'prawn cocktail' would it suddenly go quiet in here?

I had a lovely one recently; big juicy prawns and a slice of hard-boiled egg on top.


Which was nice

[JABB]

Depending on the size needed, 2 or 3 scallops on a small black peppercorn risotto?
Small round bubble and squeak with bacon and hollandaise sauce?
Tempora cocoanut battered prawns with chilli dip?
Cornish crab cocktail?

[escargot]

Venison tartare?

[smack]

escargot said:

Venison tartare?

I'll be over at 6pm. What should I bring?

[escargot]

A case of petrus.

[JABB]

Well, what did you choose?

[Roger645]

escargot said:

A case of petrus.

Can I come to yours for dinner, well just the starter will do!

[pugwash4x4]

Thanks all- have only just got over the alcohol!

Kept it really simple in the end- raw shell-on king prawns, freshly cooked with home made bread and aioli. (Le Marca Prosecco to accompany)

Followed by slow coooked 3 day marinated beef shin pie and dauphinois spuds, roast honey glazed carrots and beans- with a few bottles of chateuneuf du pappy- ooh that was good.

Followed by games of spoof and strip poker, then home made creme brulee with a lovely Rose (i forget which), and chees and biscuits with 20yr old port.

all in all a very vyer nice way to spend new years eve.

[sidekickdmr]

pugwash4x4 said:

strip poker

Is this how you spend most of your new years with friends?

Sounds fun!

[pugwash4x4]

sidekickdmr said:

pugwash4x4 said:

strip poker

Is this how you spend most of your new years with friends?

Sounds fun!

quite often as a few beers come out- couple of our mates love getting their kit off

honestly at 31 you'd have thought we'd have grown out of it

[4Q]

A fish based one I made over Christmas...tastes really good. For 'other shellfish stuff' I used mussels and calamari.

Ingredients (for 2 pax)

1 tbsp crème fraîche } Mix these together.
1 tsp horseradish sauce }
4 slices smoked salmon
10 large prawns
Any other shell fish stuff

FOR THE SALAD

juice 1 lime , finely grated zest of ½ *
1 tsp clear honey*
½ tsp finely grated fresh root ginger*
2 tbsp light olive oil*
2 handfuls small leaf salad

• blend them bhes. Use as marinade for the shellfish then salad dressing.

Marinade shellfish for ages, stir fry shellfish only til nice. Serve all on plate (salmon then salad then shellfish with marinade/salad dressing drizzled over the lot). Put creme fresh and horseradish stuff on the side. But not toooooooo much. Eat. Enjoy :-)