The Art Of Holiday Cooking - FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES
12/09/2024 08:35PM ● By BrewviewVT
The art of holiday cooking is a celebration of tradition, food, and togetherness, and the Feast of the Seven Fishes is just that. Rooted in Italian custom, it's typically served on Christmas Eve and each dish tells a story of heritage and seasonal bounty. The preparation itself is a ritual, bringing families together to clean, chop, and stir with care, as the aroma of garlic and fresh herbs fills the air. Why not start your own Feast of the Seven Fishes tradition? Here are a few of our favorite recipes to get you started.
BAKED STUFFED CLAMS
INGREDIENTS
24 clean clam shells (1 dozen clams)
2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, drained with juice reserved
3 cups fresh Ritz crackers crushed
1/4 cup minced sweet onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
pepper to taste
paprika to taste
2 lemons, quartered
PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a large frying pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Stir in
onion, and cook until translucent. Stir in your crushed Ritz crackers. Reduce
heat to low, and slowly pour in clam juice and lemon juice until mixture
is slightly sticky, but not wet. The bread crumbs will continue to absorb
moisture, so be careful not to add too much liquid.
3. Add the minced clams and the chopped parsley.
4. Fill each clean clam shell with mixture, pressing tightly into shell. Arrange
on a baking sheet, and sprinkle lightly with paprika, salt and pepper.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and
sizzling. Serve warm on a platter with lemon wedges.
CRAB LOUIE SALAD LETTUCE CUPS
INGREDIENTS
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup-based chili sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over, drained
2 heads Boston Bibb or butter lettuce, separated into leaves
2 avocados, cut into small cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved, quartered if large
4 teaspoons capers, drained
1/4 cup chopped parsley
PREPARATION
1. Whisk scallions, mayonnaise, chili sauce, lemon juice, horseradish,
Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Toss crabmeat and 1/2 cup dressing in a medium bowl.
3. Divide lettuce leaves among plates (2–3 leaves on each). spoon crab mixture, avocado, and tomatoes into the lettuce cups. Drizzle dressing over, then top with capers and parsley. Serve with extra dressing alongside.
SHRIMP RISOTTO
INGREDIENTS
Extra virgin olive oil
1lb raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Grated lemon zest
Crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
32 ounces chicken or vegetable broth.
4 cups baby spinach leaves
Unsalted butter
PREPARATION
1. Heat 6 cups of broth in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat
2. In a large non-stick pot, add a 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the
shrimp and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes until the shrimp has just
turned pink. Quickly move the shrimp to a bowl, and toss with lemon zest, red
pepper flakes and set aside.
3. In the same pot on medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive
oil, the chopped shallots and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the shallot softens.
Add the rice and toast for a few minutes, until the rice is coated in oil and is
translucent. Toasting the rice before cooking adds a nice nutty flavor.
4. Add 1 cup of the hot broth to the rice and stir. Continue to stir until all the
stock has absorbed. Keep adding broth (about 1/2 cup at a time) and stir until
it has all been absorbed. Continue to add broth and stir until the rice cooked.
This will take about 20 minutes, depending on your rice. Remove from heat.
You might have some leftover broth, you may not need to use all of it.
5. Stir in the butter, spinach, and the cooked shrimp and serve once the spinach is wilted.
STEAMED MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE
INGREDIENTS
Extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
sea salt to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 pounds mussels
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Rustic Italian bread, sliced
PREPARATION
1. Rinse mussels under cold water, scrubbing with a brush, until the water runs clear.
Discard any mussels that are not closed or do not close when you tap their shells.
2. In a large 6-9- quart pot, heat about 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over
medium-high heat.
3. Add the garlic and onions, and season with a good pinch of sea salt. Add the red
pepper flakes. Cook, and stir frequently until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
4. Add the mussels, then the broth and the wine. Cover and let steam over medium-
high heat for about 5 to 6 minutes until the mussels open up.
5. As soon as the mussel shells are open, immediately remove the pot from the heat
and stir in the fresh parsley.
6. Transfer the mussels and broth to serving bowls and serve with lemon wedges and Italian bread to soak up the broth.
THE TRADITION
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is the annual Christmas Eve vigil and epic seafood feast that has grown into the most beloved meal of the year in Italian American households. Steeped in tradition, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is the centerpiece meal of the entire holiday season.
It’s unclear when the feast became so popular in the U.S., however, the tradition can be traced back to the early 1900s, as millions of Southern Italian immigrants steamed across the Atlantic and started a new life here in America. Homesick for the land they left behind, they combined classic Italian dishes with seafood, which was a mainstay of their diet in the “old country.”
The number seven wasn’t attached to the feast until long after Italian immigrants arrived in America. There’s a good chance the “seven fishes” designation has religious ties, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church’s seven sacraments, seven virtues, or the “seventh day of rest” from the Bible.
