Christmas Seafood Platter. In the form of a Christmas tree! Is there a better way to celebrate the holidays?

This seafood tree’s shape is created with sprigs of fresh rosemary. Then, it’s filled (starting at the bottom) with oysters on the half shell, cranberries, lemon rings (or wedges), cooked shrimp, seaweed salad, Cape bay scallops, canned smoked salmon and cooked lobster. The tree trunk is made of tuna jerky. Capers fill in some of the holes in the tree. Alongside this seafood board is melted butter (for the lobster), cocktail sauce (for the shrimp) and flaky sea salt.

After you’ve shucked your oysters (need some oyster shucking tips? Click here.), this seafood Christmas tree takes about 5 minutes to assemble, as long as you’ve purchased cooked shrimp and cooked lobster. You can either purchase frozen cooked shrimp and lobster meat or purchase both fresh from your local fish market (if you’re lucky enough to have one). Actually most “fresh” shrimp you find at the fresh fish counter are previously frozen, but that’s a conversation for another day.

Make this seacuterie board your own:

Feel free to make this seafood tree your own by using whatever fresh, frozen, tinned or dried seafood you have on hand. In addition to the fish and shellfish, I love adding bright and fresh citrus like lemon or lime wedges or rings (a must when serving seafood) and something briny (like seaweed salad, olives, pickles or capers).

It’s also a good idea to have a mix of raw and cooked items, as some of your guests may shy away from raw seafood, for various reasons, including the risk of foodborne illness from raw seafood. {*Those with compromised immune systems, as well as those who are pregnant, infants, young children and older adults, should not consume raw or undercooked fish and shellfish.} In this seafood board aka seacuterie board, I’ve included raw oysters and raw scallops (but you could easily sear the scallops and roast or grill the oysters, if you prefer), cooked shrimp and lobster and tinned smoked salmon.

Here’s the run down of what’s on this Christmas Seafood Platter (from the bottom up):

• 1 stick tuna jerky (for the tree trunk), we love Pescavore 
• 1 dozen oysters, shucked
• about 1/4 cup fresh cranberries (purely for decoration)
• lemon rings (or wedges)
• 1/2 lb cooked shrimp
• 1/2 cup seaweed salad (we love Atlantic Sea Farms)
• 1/2 cup raw or seared Cape bay scallops
• 1 can smoked salmon (We love FishWife)
• 1/2 lb cooked lobster meat
• about 1/4 cup capers (scattered)

Then on the side:

• cocktail sauce
• melted butter
• sea salt

Assemble the seafood tree on a large platter or baking sheet. Add serving utensils and serve immediately!! Replenish ice cold oysters as needed (they all may not fit at the bottom of your tree). Adjust amounts depending on your guest number. Remember, this platter, as with all perishable appetizers should be consumed within two hours of being out of refrigeration. When in doubt, toss it out.

If you have family that loves a good raw bar, bring the raw bar home for the holidays – they will love this seafood platter!

Here’s the full recipe for this seafood board:

PIN this Christmas Tree Seacuterie Board for later: