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.
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.
Whole Roast Turbot with Garlic, Rosemary, and Cherry Tomatoes
Whole-roasted turbot is topped with a cherry tomatoes, butterbeans and fresh parsley. Finish with a generous squeeze of lemon.
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 centerpiece.
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 tender roast turbot topped with garlic, chilli, rosemary and parsley for a fresh alternative centrepiece.
