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Sensational Christmas Dinner starters
Starters are the part of the meal that restaurants always seem to do so well, but the one we often don’t bother with much at home — especially at Christmas. They can take up valuable time in the kitchen when you’d rather be with your family or guests. But starters are what set the tone for the whole meal and help ease everyone into conversation. They’re worth it for a special occasion and, with a little planning, don’t need a lot of last-minute fuss.
- Fan or curl thinly sliced pieces of smoked salmon on a large serving plate, along with wedges of cucumber and lemon, and sprinkle with crushed black pepper.
- Pass around the table with a board of sliced, crusty wholemeal bread and plenty of unsalted butter.
- Dot the table with small bowls of good quality olives and pickled sweet peppers. Use bread plates placed on top of dinner plates and you don’t even have to clear them away - simply move them to the side.
Retro roulade
A spinach roulade filled with smoked salmon and Greek yoghurt can be made up to a day in advance, and needs only to be sliced and laid out on plates.
- Line an average size roasting tin with lightly oiled greaseproof paper, allowing the paper to come up the sides.
- Add 175g frozen spinach to a saucepan with a little boiling water and cook for a minute or two. Drain and divide the spinach between 2 plates, squeezing out as much liquid as possible, then chop finely.
- Separate 4 eggs and beat the yolks into the spinach, seasoning well with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. In another bowl, whisk the whites until stiff and fold them into the spinach mixture.
- Pour onto the paper and smooth it to the edges. Bake at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 for 10-12 minutes. Cool for a minute or two then turn the roulade on to another sheet of greaseproof paper and peel off the paper base. Cover with a clean tea towel until completely cool.
- For the filling, finely chop 200g smoked salmon and mix with a tub of Greek yoghurt or fromage frais and ground black pepper. Spread over the roulade and roll up from either end. (Rolling from the long side will give you a longer, smaller roll; from the short side, a thicker, shorter spiral.) Wrap in greaseproof paper and twist like a cracker. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Serve on a bed of baby spinach leaves with fresh lemon juice squeezed over.
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