Feast of the Seven Fishes: Part 1

While many count Christmas as their favorite holiday, I’m partial to Christmas Eve. Here are seven reasons why: clam chowder, crispy fried shrimp, lobster spring rolls, pesto-glazed swordfish, scallops in white wine, mini crab cakes, and cod salad. Last year, that was my family’s Christmas Eve menu.

For as long as I can remember, my family has enjoyed the annual Feast of the Seven Fishes, a traditional Christmas Eve meal with roots in southern Italy. The origins of this decadent feast come from the Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on holy days, while the number seven is said to refer to the church’s seven sacraments.

The seven fish tradition is kept alive in my modern family – now a happy mix of Italians, Cubans and more — with some modifications. Every year, our Christmas Eve menu includes the traditional Baccala salad of codfish and olives. But we also rotate modern dishes, such as bacon-wrapped scallops, into the lineup.

And – get ready for a true confession — to keep everyone on the right side of sanity, the savory dishes my grandmother, mom and I make from scratch each year are occasionally supplemented by clam chowder and crab cakes prepared by a favorite local seafood restaurant. This delicious, decades-old tradition can be revised to fit into even the busiest family’s holiday schedule.

Every Wednesday until Christmas, I’ll publish one family recipe that’s perfect for a Seven Fishes celebration. Here’s the first installment:

Baccala salad

This cold cod salad is a Christmas Eve staple for many Italian families – and one my grandmother prepares every year for our holiday festivities. As an appetizer, it serves 8 to 10.

Ingredients:

• ½ pound dried cod
• 1 small head of cauliflower, washed, cut into bite-size pieces and steamed
• 4 stalks of celery, cut into bite-size pieces
• ½ pound pitted green olives (whole), in olive oil with red pepper
• 2-3 medium cloves of garlic, grated
• Rind of 3 lemons, grated
• Juice of 3 lemons
• 16 ounces of pickled banana pepper rings (mild or hot)
• ½ cup juice from the jar of the banana pepper rings
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 cup fresh chopped parsley
• ½ cup white vinegar
• Black pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt to taste (optional)

Instructions:

1. Soak the cod in water in the refrigerator for three days, changing the water once a day. (This removes the excess salt.) When ready to make salad, pat the cod dry.

2. Broil cod until lightly browned (about 20 minutes). Let cool and cut into bite-size pieces.

3. Put cod and all other ingredients in large bowl. Mix well.

4. Chill for a few hours and serve.

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