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As Christmas Eve fast approaches, Italian households are busy preparing a famous dinner called "La Vigilia," or The Feast of the Seven Fishes. A number of years ago, my husband Edward and I attended Christmas Eve dinner at the home of friends where several generations of Italian-Americans had been cooking for days. I can still see Edward standing at the stove with a plate in his hands waiting for the freshly fried smelts to jump out of the pan.
Although each family has its favorite dishes, eel and baccala are usually on the menu. Baccala is salt cod and it must be soaked in water for several days before cooking.
Clams, calamari, shrimp and mussels make an appearance on the family table along with fillet of flounder and other fresh fish. A large meatless antipasto can begin the dinner followed by salads and a pasta dish. All recipes can be easily doubled.
Mussels with Fennel and White Wine
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 4 fat cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 cup of dry white wine
- 2 pounds of mussels, preferably Prince Edward Island
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a five-quart stockpot over medium-high. Add the garlic and fennel and saut� for about five to eight minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the wine and blend well. Add the mussels. Raise the heat to high to bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, then cover and cook until the mussels open, about 10 minutes. Shake the pot once or twice to evenly distribute the mussels in the pan.
- Serves six.
Cool Seafood Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of medium shrimp, peeled and cooked
- 2 pounds of sea scallops, steamed and sliced
- 2 pounds of calamari rings, steamed
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Handful of Italian parsley leaves, minced
Directions:
- Place the fish in a serving bowl and toss well. Add the remaining ingredients except the parsley and toss again. Top with the parsley.
- Place in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight. Take out at least two hours before serving.
- Serves six.
Flounder with Garlic and Bread Crumbs
Ingredients:
- 6 fillets of fluke flounder
- 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup of Parmesan
- 6 fat cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Wipe the fillets with paper towels. Place in a baking pan.
- In a medium-size bowl, blend together the remaining ingredients. The mixture should feel like a thick paste. If it feels dry, add a little more oil.
- Divide the mixture evenly among the fillets, patting it on top.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, depending on the thickness.
- Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: You can substitute blue fish or basa for the fluke flounder. I prefer fluke to regular flounder because it is thicker.
Fried Smelts
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of smelts
- Flour, for dredging
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Olive oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
Directions:
- Wipe the smelts dry with paper towels. Place the flour, salt and pepper on a plate and blend well. Coat each smelt in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Repeat until all are coated.
- Heat the oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Add the smelts and cook about two minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
- Serve with the lemon.
- Serves six.
Pasta with Wild Mushrooms
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of pasta, such as fettuccine or pappardelle, cooked according to package directions
- 1 pound of wild mushrooms, such as cremini and shiitake, wiped clean and sliced
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup of Port or rich red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon
Directions:
- While the pasta cooks, toss the mushrooms together. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the mushrooms and saut� until they give up their liquid, about five to eight minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Add the wine to the mushrooms. Raise the heat to high and saut� for about two minutes. Drain the pasta, adding it to the skillet and toss well.
- Serves six.
