Festive starter recipes

This sophisticated dish makes an elegant dinner party starter, balancing the sweetness of the apple and malt loaf with a tangy vinaigrette

Elegant yet full-flavoured, guests will love putting together these bites - make the beef and crème fraîche topping in advance to get ahead

Serve seafood on a sharing platter and let everyone build their own little prawn cocktail bites for a perfect dinner party starter or canapé

This stunning starter can be assembled ahead, then topped with dressed leaves just before serving.

MasterChef finalist, Alex Rushmer, shows us how to create a show-stopping vegetarian starter for the festive season

Ever the versatile fish, this fresh, no-cook salmon starter can be made a few days ahead

Creamy and low-fat aren't words you often hear together, but that's exactly what you get with this freeze-ahead starter

Bring summer to winter with this fresh salad - it contains 3 of your 5-a-day too

A soufflé to start always gives your dinner party a 'wow' factor and this make-ahead recipe gives you more time to be the perfect host

A smart veggie starter that will impress even the biggest foodie at your dinner table

A hit of vodka gives this classic a new edge. Serve with a shot of vodka for full effect

A luxury that has been prized by chefs for years, so make the most of it with this cheat's classic

Set aside a couple of hours and enjoy every minute of making this impressive terrine

Gary Rhodes' perfect starter for a Boxing day lunch, made with lots of leftovers from the day before

For a simple, smart starter, just mix mayo with garlic, herbs and a squeeze of lime and serve with seafood and brown bread

This speedy salad can be whipped up as an impressive starter - the fish is completely lifted by contrasting flavours

This simple breaded cheese can be made ahead and frozen, ready to use as a starter for a dinner party with friends

A luxurious seafood soup that is rich in flavour, perfect for formal entertaining and low in calories too

This impressive-looking dish makes a wonderful starter for a dinner party

John Torode shows how to prepare classic coarse set terrine with duck and mixed game of your choice

This sumptuous salad is perfect for a group starter and can be whipped up the night before

Baked camembert just got a whole lot better – try home baking a decorative ring and tear off chunks to dunk like fondue

Potting shellfish in a cayenne and mace-flavoured butter is a surprisingly simple fish starter that's great as part of a sharing platter

Try a Scandinavian approach to your smoked fish by adding dill, horseradish, lemon and red onion - great as part of a sharing platter