Christmas Eve Seafood Feast
Christmas Eve Seafood Feast
The interpretation of the Feast of the 7 Fish or Fishes is often debated. Some say it is not even Italian, but an Italian-American tradition. It might be to represent the 7 sacraments leading up to Christmas, and some don’t even pay attention to numbers but cook any or all seafood available. For example, while you can find shrimp in nearly any/every part of the world, sometimes they are called scampi or prawns, they might be a different species but they cook the same. As for people that live at the shore or coastal towns, crab is very common and they even put it in the tomato sauce.
This tradition can even be traced back before Christianity was legal. The winter solstice (December 25th) was also the birthday of another God, Mithra. I n 1500 BC the Ancient Persians believed he was born from a virgin (like Jesus) and was also a vegetarian. So, when the sun is lowest in the sky marked the birth of Mitrha, later Jesus. You can research the remarkable similarities online, but this is not a lesson in religion, rather, an explanation as to the significance of the date, holiday and how it made its way into the 21st century from 2,500 years ago.
Here are some classics, ranging from the most traditional and common to the most luxurious you might find today:
- Baccala – A salted codfish the sailors and explorers used to travel from Old World Europe to the New World in the Western Hemisphere. The codfish was buried in salt to help keep it preserved for long voyages which took months. Bacteria cannot exist without water.
- Calamari (fried, broiled or cooked in sauce)
- Shrimp (prawns, scampi, cold or hot, and often served over long pasta)
- Clams (shellfish, can be eaten raw or cooked and over pasta)
- Mussels (fra diavola is popular (spicy)
- Scungilli (conch, often served in a cold salad)
- Lobster (for those who can afford it, the lobster tail is a great luxury add-on)
Some others when times are good and/or when you are closer to these fresh ingredients (perhaps if you live by the sea)… Lobster; Tuna with Cannellini Beans; Salmon & Chick Peas; Oysters; other regional varieties, etc.
