Serve irresistible party food to your guests this Christmas with Mrs Crunch’s fish dishes

CHRISTMAS is going to be different for many of us this year – so why not use it as an excuse to change your traditional dinner?

Prawn cocktail is the ultimate starter.

This year Christmas will be different - why not try a different dish for dinner? — This year Christmas will be different – why not try a different dish for dinner?Credit: Getty Images – Getty

But there are lots of fish dishes that would impress your diners.

If you are worried about preparing it, just head to your local Morrisons store.

Its fishmongers will fillet and prepare your fish exactly how you want it.

Here are three recipes from Love Seafood that work as starters or are a great choice for party food.

Mrs Crunch recipes in association with Morrisons

Classic calamari – £1.70 per serving

Serves 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 2 minutes

TIP: It is easy to over-cook the squid, so stick to the timings to get the perfect calamari

YOU NEED:

200g squid, cut into ½ cm rings
200ml vegetable oil, for frying
50g plain flour
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp paprika
1 large egg, beaten

For the mayo:

4 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, crushed
Zest of half a lemon, plus extra wedges for serving
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

METHOD:

Mix the mayonnaise with the garlic, lemon zest and parsley, and set aside.

Place enough oil in a large saucepan, or deep-fat fryer to fill half. Heat to 180C. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer, test it is hot enough by dropping a cube of bread into the oil – it should turn golden in one minute.

Combine the flour, cayenne pepper and paprika in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Put the beaten egg in a separate bowl.

Put the squid in the bowl of seasoned flour and toss well. Remove the rings from the bowl and shake off any excess flour. Then dip the squid into the egg. Gently lift the squid rings out of the bowl, allowing any excess egg to run off.

Lower the squid into the hot oil and cook for two minutes.

Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with the mayonnaise and lemon wedges on the side.

Prawn croquettes – £1.12 per serving

Serves 6

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

TIP: Garnish the croquettes and sauce with some cress and a sprinkling of paprika

YOU NEED:

1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for deep-fat frying
1 onion, finely diced
250g cooked, peeled king prawns, chopped
300g cooked mashed potato
1 tbsp mixed fresh soft leaf herbs such as dill, coriander, flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
50g plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
50g breadcrumbs
6 tbsp reduced-fat seafood sauce

METHOD:

Heat oil in a pan, add the onion and cook gently until softened.

Mix the cooked onion with the prawns, potato, herbs and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Divide into 12 balls and roll each to form a log shape. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into separate bowls. To coat the croquettes, roll them in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a deep-fat fryer or a large deep pan to 180C. Deep fry croquettes for three minutes, or until golden. Once cooked, drain on kitchen paper until ready to serve. Then serve with the seafood sauce and with lemon wedges on the side.

Crab cocktail – £2.99 per serving

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

TIP: If you can’t get hold of sourdough, just use slices of brown or granary bread instead

YOU NEED:

10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp olive oil
100g brown crab meat
400ml mayonnaise
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
½ tsp cayenne pepper
200g white crab meat
1 tsp tarragon, chopped
1 tsp chives, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
Sourdough loaf, sliced

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 190/gas 6. Put the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20 minutes until soft. Place brown crab meat, half the mayonnaise, ketchup and cayenne into a food processor, and blend until smooth.