Lobster Mac and cheese is popular here where I live. Or lobster newburg. Both I have never made. I don’t eat gluten or dairy so my hubbie will be the Taster.
For a large crowd, I would roast a whole salmon or grill on cedar plank. For large parties, I marinate jumbo shrimp in olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and maybe some lemon peel. Then quickly grill or roast in the oven. Most people love shrimp and they cook quickly. In that way, there's salmon for those who are allergic and also shrimp for those who aren't.
I might STAY AWAY FROM SHELLFISH, because not everyone who says they eat seafood will eat all of it. Also there is a pretty common allergy to them, including Shrimp Prawns Crayfish Lobster Squid Scallops You could make a FISH DISH. Again, this is a common allergy. Maybe ask your people if they can tolerate this. Make any interesting format - stew, roasted, grilled, encased in a salt crust and baked. Figure out what's good and in your budget locally. Choose a cuisine or a chef that you like (Italian, Portugues, Eric Ripert, etc). Make a test batch for home use before the party. Give yourself enough time so that if it doesn't work out or you don't like it enough, you can plan a substitute. OR MAKE A DELUXE VEGETABLE DISH. The key to making it feel like a party is to use good ingredients that don't try to pretent they are something else. And present it with appropriate sides (wine, non-alcoholic drink, bread, salad). An example is Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good from Dorie Greenspan epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pumpkin-stuffed-with-everything-good-361169 End the meal (whether fish or vegetable main) with an indulgent dessert. Again, what is good locally? Apples, cranberries, chocolate something, local cream.
Great...so if you have a favorite non-crab recipe you're set. If not, select a recipe, make a small-batch test meal, say a week before the party. If you like it, buy ingredients for your crowd & cook. If not, try another recipe a few days later.
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Shrimp
Prawns
Crayfish
Lobster
Squid
Scallops
You could make a FISH DISH. Again, this is a common allergy. Maybe ask your people if they can tolerate this. Make any interesting format - stew, roasted, grilled, encased in a salt crust and baked.
Figure out what's good and in your budget locally.
Choose a cuisine or a chef that you like (Italian, Portugues, Eric Ripert, etc).
Make a test batch for home use before the party. Give yourself enough time so that if it doesn't work out or you don't like it enough, you can plan a substitute.
OR MAKE A DELUXE VEGETABLE DISH. The key to making it feel like a party is to use good ingredients that don't try to pretent they are something else. And present it with appropriate sides (wine, non-alcoholic drink, bread, salad). An example is Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good from Dorie Greenspan
epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pumpkin-stuffed-with-everything-good-361169
End the meal (whether fish or vegetable main) with an indulgent dessert. Again, what is good locally? Apples, cranberries, chocolate something, local cream.