Fish tends to be one of those things that divides people, you’re either a lover or hater, but for those that fall into the former category it is a perfect entertaining staple. Seafood always (or at least to me) feels a little bit special, it can be served hot or cold and pre-prepares very well.
For an elegant starter when you don’t have much time but want to wow try a South American cooking technique called ceviche which lends itself perfectly to seafood. Rather than cooking with heat the fish is cooked with acid usually lime, lemon or grapefruit juice with additional flavours such as chilli or herbs added and left until the fish turns opaque or for about 4 hours (any longer and the fish tends to go chalky and dry). Any fish can be ‘cooked’ in this way but firm white fish or shellfish, especially scallops, work perfectly and will definitely create a talking point.
Going from very modern to retro, I don’t think you can beat a wonderful salmon en croute if you’re entertaining. It can be prepared the day before and is actually very simple but also creates a fantastic centre piece to a meal. If you want to make this a little more elegant, make individual portions and serve with a tangy hollandaise sauce. There is always a reason to revisit classics in my book.
For a more informal evening with close friends where you don’t mind getting your fingers a little messy, homemade moules marinieres is a wonderful treat and again easy to make. Ask your fishmonger to clean and de-beard your mussels to save you the time but do always check that they haven’t missed any. Serve big steaming bowls along with piles of crusty bread and crisp cold white wine and you’ll have the perfect backdrop for great conversation.