Ideas on how to introduce fresh seafood flavours to your menu this Christmas, read more at the Culinary Circle.

There’s a reason why many find themselves feeling bloated after the festive season. Traditional Christmas food revolves around large plates of meat and endless starchy foods - and we love Christmas food all the more for that. However, you can create lighter (yet still indulgent) dishes using seafood flavours. Other cultures certainly embrace fish as a Christmas staple in their yuletide menus. A Polish Christmas table is centered around fried carp, whereas you are likely to find Bacalao a la Mexicana, salted cod and tomatoes in a spicy sauce, in Mexico.

Lobster Bisque Christmas Dinner Starter

Made with cream and white wine, this lobster bisque is a luxurious way to start your Christmas dinner. This thick and creamy soup infused with fresh lobster tail meat is very filling, so serving up a small amount topped with croutons and lobster meat will go a long way. Prepare your lobster tails and stock in a large stockpot to get the most flavour possible out of the tail.

Christmas Eve Feast with Gravadlax

Kick-off Christmas with a Christmas eve platter featuring your own home-cured gravadlax flavoured with dill, juniper and gin for an aromatic treat. Wrap your salmon three days ahead and store between two baking trays in your fridge before serving for the flavours to fully infuse with the fish.

Pair this with a round of cool cream cheese flavoured with lemon, herbs and garlic, and serve on top of a crispy gluten-free seed cracker. These beautiful crackers provide a very satisfying crunch, and are the perfect vessel for your cheese and gravadlax treat.

Nautical Christmas Canapes

Christmas gatherings aren’t complete without a round of canapes, and this is the perfect opportunity to experiment with flavours and ingredients you don’t typically find around Christmas time. This nautical take on pigs in blankets wraps pan-fried scallops in speck ham, adding a depth of festive flavour with sloe gin and nutmeg seasoning.

These prawn and wasabi guacamole bites also work perfectly as a canape for your next Christmas cocktail party, partnering delicate king prawns with the spicy flavour punch of wasabi mixed with creamy, cooling avocado.