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Christmas starter

Christmas starter recipes

Looking for special Christmas starters? From classic smoked salmon to an epic caramelised onion tart, we have a starter recipe for everyone.

Want to get pudding for Christmas sorted too? Browse our best festive desserts to make ahead.

Add some excitement to your Christmas starter with our Glow Up hacks: five simple, make-ahead ways to jazz up all kinds of Christmas dishes, including a savoury granola with cranberries and pistachios and festive orange and hazelnut chilli oil for drizzling.

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Easy starter recipes

Pork rillettes

Pork rillettes, a French classic, is perfect served with a crusty baguette and pickles. Learn the art of meat potting with our easy recipe.

Dairy-free Freezable Gluten-free

Easy

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Game recipes

Game terrine with brandy-soaked prunes

Nicholas Balfe's game terrine makes a special Christmas dish. The festive spices go beautifully with seasonal game and brandy-soaked prunes.

Medium

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Italian pasta recipes

Tortellini in brodo

Tortellini in brodo is a labour of love. Tiny handmade tortellini are served in the rich stock from a bollito misto. A Piedmontese classic.

Medium

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Orange recipes

Blood orange, burrata and cinnamon-cashew salad with mulled wine glaze

Blood orange and burrata salad gets a festive spin with a spiced mulled wine dressing. Perfect as a Christmas starter or Boxing Day salad.

Gluten-free Vegetarian

Easy

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'Nduja recipes

Sausage and cheese brioche wreath with ’nduja cranberry dip

Looking for a festive starter? Hidden inside each brioche dough ball in this wreath is a flavour explosion. Fennel and sausage meet oozing cheese...

Easy

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Trout recipes

Brown sugar-cured trout with easy wheaten bread

This festive trout starter sings with aniseed flavours, from the spices in the cure to the glorious tarragon herb butter on the bread.

Make-ahead

Easy

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Trout recipes

Cured trout tartare with apple and nori

Cured trout tartare is a simple, relatively effortless Christmas starter. All it takes is time and know how. The results are astounding.

Gluten-free Make-ahead

Easy

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Celeriac recipes

Celeriac and brown butter soup with crispy kale

This luxurious celeriac soup sees the root vegetable bathed in brown butter, adding incredible depth of flavour and subtle sweetness.

Freezable Gluten-free Vegetarian

Easy

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Christmas starter recipes

Parmesan and paprika custards with quince toast

With parmesan, smoky paprika and fruity quince paste soldiers for dipping, these savoury set custards provide a simple make-ahead starter.

Make-ahead

Easy

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Crab recipes

Crab pots with parmesan crisps

Effortless but packed with flavour, this easy crab starter with fancy parmesan crisps can be made entirely in advance in just 15 minutes.

Gluten-free Make-ahead

Easy

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Mussel recipes

Grilled mussels with garlic and parsley

These grilled mussels with garlic and parsley butter make a delicious starter and they look impressive too.

Medium

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Christmas starter recipes

Marinated goat’s cheese salad

Infusing creamy, soft goat’s cheese with aromatic fennel seeds, rosemary and chilli is a simple way to turn an already tasty treat into something even better.

Gluten-free Vegetarian

Easy

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Crab recipes

Crab cakes with katsu curry sauce

James Martin shares his crab cakes recipe. Serve the crisp crab cakes on a bed of golden katsu curry sauce for an impressive starter.

Easy

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Prawn recipes

James Martin’s Coquilles St Jacques

Discover James Martin's recipe for the classic French dish, coquilles st jacques. Scallops and prawns are served in the scallop shells in a creamy gratin.