Not everyone wants to base their festive feast around turkey or other cuts of meat. For the fish lovers among us, Christmas presents the opportunity to go all out with a seafood-based centrepiece special enough for the big day. Think celebratory-sized portions, festive adornments, golden pastry casings and rich sauces, with these fish-based favourites from the likes of Mary Berry, Rick Stein and Jamie Oliver.
Mary Berry’s Fabulous Fish Sharing Platter
Mary Berry‘s sharing platter is an ideal choice for festive season gatherings. Featuring succulent prawns, rich smoked salmon, and delicate quail eggs, all accompanied by crisp lettuce wedges, hearty rye bread, and a zesty lemon dressing, this platter is sure to delight your guests. It’s the perfect dish to put out on Christmas Day as a sharing starter before the main meal.
Ottolenghi’s Potato, Fennel and Smoked Salmon Bake
Ottolenghi‘s rich salmon, potato, and fennel bake is a twist on the classic Swedish comfort food favourite, lax pudding. This dish makes a fantastic pescatarian centrepiece for Christmas, combining tender salmon, creamy potatoes, and aromatic fennel to create a comforting and indulgent meal.
Poached Side of Salmon with Asparagus and Brown Shrimps
Mary Berry‘s poached side of salmon with asparagus will impress your family and friends no end, and it takes minimal work to prepare. You can swap the asparagus for more seasonal purple sprouting broccoli.
From the book
Classic by Mary Berry
Family favourites
Easy entertaining
Stunning bakes
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Baked Pomegranate-glazed Trout
Delicate and flavourful, with a sweet and citrusy glaze, this baked trout is a stunning – and delicious – fish main to serve at Christmas. The best part is it can easily be prepared in advanced, and then it is baked in the oven for just 30 minutes.
Roast Turbot and Clams with Chorizo Pigs in Blankets
Another stunning fish centrepiece by Emily Scott is this recipe for whole roasted turbot served with thin potato slices and white wine clams. The cherry on top though are the chorizo pigs in blankets, wrapped in pancetta and roasted with orange blossom honey for a divine caramelization.
Rick Stein’s Salmon Wellington with a White Wine and Cream Sauce
This show-stopping recipe balances the lightness of a salmon en croûte with the richness of a traditional beef wellington, thanks to its deeply savoury mushroom filling and buttery puff pastry casing.
Rick Stein’s Dover Sole a la Meunière
Rick Stein‘s Dover Sole a la Meunière is the perfect choice for a smaller gathering as you’ll need one Dover sole per person. It’s a wonderfully simple dish but its rich, butter-laden sauce makes it feel suitably special.
Jamie Oliver’s Easy Salmon en Croute with Tasty Spinach, Baked Red Pesto Sauce and Lemon
Jamie makes Christmas even easier with this simplified salmon en croûte. Layer ready-made puff pastry into a baking tray, top with garlicky spinach and salmon fillets, and glaze with a red pesto egg mixture so it emerges from the oven beautifully golden.
Baked Sea Bass with Roasted Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Anchovies and Potatoes
This Baked Sea Bass is packed with flavour. Paired with vibrant roasted red peppers, tomatoes, saffron, anchovies and potatoes, this is a Mediterranean take on a Christmas fish centrepiece.
Gravlax (Dill-cured Salmon)
Great as a canapé, as part of a festive breakfast with scrambled eggs, or even as a centrepiece, gravlax is also an easy make-ahead option to alleviate some of the pressure on Christmas Day.
Whole Roast Turbot with Garlic, Rosemary, and Cherry Tomatoes
Here is a prime example of a dish of minimum effort and maximum reward. Featuring another tender roast turbot, this time topped with garlic, chilli, rosemary and parsley for a fresh alternative centrepiece.
