The Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes

Originating decades ago in Southern Italy, this Catholic-inspired event of family-gathering is a very popular Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition. Known in Italian as Festa del sette pesci (Feast of the Seven Fishes), it has been inspired by the Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on special feast days, such as Christmas Eve. The number seven is also likely symbolizing the seven sacraments of the faith; the seven days during which God created the world and mankind; and the seven deadly sins. Though not on the liturgical calendar, this feast has become a popular annual feasting event for Italian Americans.

To celebrate, families gather around the dining table and spend hours enjoying dish after dish (from 7 to 13 dishes!) of special seafood offerings.  In some Italian American families, there is no count of the number of fish dishes that will be served and enjoyed. There is no specific menu, but families do follow a special guideline for this feast that includes serving any kind of seafood, then adding on appetizers, soups, salads, and dessert.

A well-known dish is salted cod fish (baccalà), plus other popular seafood such as smelts, calamari, clams, and baked cod. Typically, the family can fit into the main-course offerings many other types of seafood.

As you contemplate what to serve for Christmas Eve dinner, whether you are Italian or not, consider a seafood main course, such as this sockeye salmon recipe.

Gluten Free Wild Caught Coho or Sockeye Salmon Cakes

(Recipe donor, G. Shepard)

As she noted,

I use a similar recipe with leftover tuna. Instead of roasted red peppers, I add capers, a splash of Asian fish sauce, a splash of Asian sweet chili garlic sauce and season with curry powder. Fry or sauté in a 50-50 mix of olive oil and toasted sesame oil.

Prep Time 15 minutes, Cook Time 15-18 minutes, Cook time varies depending on whether you bake the cakes in the oven or fry them in a pan.

Yield 8 fish cakes

Ingredients:

2 (6 oz) portions of wild-caught Coho or Sockeye Salmon, cooked

1 large egg

1/4 cup very finely chopped celery stalk

1/4 cup very finely chopped previously roasted red pepper,

1/4 cup , very finely chopped fresh green onions/scallions

2 to 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise or substitute (Vegenaise))

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp fresh dill, washed, patted dry and finely chopped (can substitute parsley but I prefer dill!)

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 to 3 medium size cloves of previously roasted garlic, smushed (can substitute fresh minced garlic)

1/3 cup tapioca or rice flour, or more as needed to make the mixture firm enough to mold into cakes

Splash of lemon or lime juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, if you intend to bake them.

If you want to pan fry them, set out a plate or platter big enough to hold 8 fish cakes.

In a large bowl, flake the fish with a fork to the desired consistency. (Clean hands work really well, too.) Add the remaining ingredients, except the flour, and mix well. Last mix in the flour. Let rest 5 minutes.

Using a spoon or clean hands, form palm-sized scoops into patties and place them on the prepared baking sheet or platter.

Bake in the oven about 18 minutes or until lightly browned or fry over medium heat in butter or olive oil until lightly browned.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or wrapped tightly and stored in the freezer for a couple of weeks.

Grandma’s Gingerbread

A best-loved holiday treat, gingerbread is centuries old and is expected to appear at least once during the holiday season. Fresh ginger adds to the batter a lively flavor and fragrance unmatched by the ground, dried ginger.  (Recipe donor: Grant family)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup molasses

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease and flour an 9-x-9-inch cake pan.
2. Combine the butter, sugar and egg in a large mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the molasses and buttermilk.  Combine the dried ingredients and stir them into the batter and beat until smooth.
3. Spoon the batter into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Set on a cooling rack and cool to room temperature or serve hot, if desired.