How to build a seafood platter

What a seafood platter is

A seafood platter is a cold spread of prepared shellfish and fish served on ice, meant to be picked at and shared. It usually mixes something with drama, like a whole lobster or a dressed crab, with easy things to eat by hand, like prawns and oysters. You do not cook it. The work is in the buying and the preparing and that is the part we do for you at the counter.

What to put on it

A good platter has range: something sweet, something briny, something rich and something to dip. A full spread might include:

• A centrepiece: a whole lobster split and cleaned, or a dressed crab in the shell.
• Prawns: cooked and peeled, or shell-on king prawns for people to peel themselves.
• Oysters: opened on the half shell, with lemon and mignonette.
• Cooked shellfish: mussels, cockles or whelks, cooled and dressed.
• A cold-smoked or cured fish: smoked salmon folded on the side.
• To finish: lemon wedges, brown bread and butter, mayonnaise or aioli and a shallot mignonette.

Ask the counter what is good on the day and we will build it around that.

How much per person

These are portions for a platter that is one course among others, such as a starter or a spread with drinks. Scale up if the platter is the whole meal.

• Oysters: 3 per person
• King prawns: 4 to 5 per person
• Dressed crab: one crab between two
• Lobster: half a lobster per person as a centrepiece
• Cooked mussels or cockles: a small handful per person
• Smoked salmon: 40 to 50g per person

As a rough guide, a cold platter for two might be half a lobster, six oysters, eight king prawns, a dressed crab and a bowl of cooked mussels. For four, double it and add more prawns, which always go first.

How to plan it

Decide your numbers and whether the platter is a starter or the meal. Order online or call in and tell us who is eating and when you want it. Order by 1pm for next day delivery across west and south west London, or order ahead and collect in Barnes in about two hours, Tuesday to Saturday.

We prepare everything to order by hand: lobster split and cleaned, crab dressed, prawns cooked, oysters opened and the whole thing arranged ready to lift onto ice. Delivery is free on orders from £50. Below £50 it is £5.95.

Keeping it cold and serving it

Serve a seafood platter cold, on a bed of crushed ice if you have it and keep it in the fridge until the moment it goes on the table. Eat it the day you get it. If you are collecting, bring a cool bag for the trip home.

Frequently asked questions

What goes on a seafood platter? A mix of prepared shellfish and fish: a centrepiece like lobster or dressed crab, prawns, oysters, cooked mussels or cockles, some smoked salmon and things to dip, such as mayonnaise, aioli, lemon and mignonette.

How much seafood do I need per person? For a platter as a starter, allow roughly three oysters, four to five king prawns and a small handful of cooked shellfish each, with a shared centrepiece. Double it if the platter is the meal.

Can you prepare a seafood platter for me? Yes. We build platters to order at the counter. We split and clean the lobster, dress the crab, cook and peel prawns and open the oysters, so it arrives ready to serve. Tell us your numbers and your budget.

How far ahead should I order a seafood platter? Order by 1pm for next-day delivery, or order ahead and collect in Barnes in about two hours, Tuesday to Saturday. For a large platter over a holiday, give us as much notice as you can.

How long does a seafood platter keep? Eat it the day you buy it. Keep it cold in the fridge until you serve it and do not leave it out at room temperature for long.

Do you deliver seafood platters? Yes. Delivery is free on orders from £50. Below £50 it is £5.95.

Order for delivery

Popular from the counter: rock oysters, langoustine, brown crab, king prawns, whelks and clams. See what is on the counter today or read how delivery works.

Build yours from our shellfish.

Add to the board with pate and gravadlax from the deli, or plan the whole meal with dinner party seafood.

Related guides: eating fish raw at home · how to buy fish at a counter.