By Merle Exit
The Feast of the Seven Fishes (festa dei sette pesci), celebrated on Christmas Eve and also known as The Vigil (La Vigilia), is believed to have originated in southern Italy.
The long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstinence which, in this case, meant refraining from the consumption of meat or milk products on the eve of holy days. As no meat or butter could be used on such days, observant Catholics would instead eat fish, typically fried in oil.
Some Italian-American families have been known to celebrate with nine, 11 or 13 different seafood dishes. At Fairway Market in Douglaston, you will most likely view a sign reading “Festa dei Sette Pesci” with a list of seven suggestions: baccala (dried cod) fritte, fried or boiled calamari, baked flounder, boiled whole crab or lobster, sauteed shrimp, steamed mussels and spaghetti with clams.
You can certainly find fish markets in Queens. Fairway Market is not only known for its array of selection and reputation of quality, but the store purposely places a separation barrier between the allergens and non-allergens. Make it a point to tell the person handling the seafood that you are purchasing fish for someone who is highly allergic to shellfish. If necessary, request that the gloves be changed.
Another option is you might want to shop at a kosher supermarket, such as Aron’s Kissena Farms, at 75-15 Kissena Blvd., or Seasons, at 68-18 Main St., where any form of shellfish is considered non-kosher.
When it comes to putting the dinner together, preparing a marina sauce using San Marzano tomatoes, a fish stock made with fish bones and heads, fine quality pasta, olive oil and produce such as lemons, garlic, onions, potatoes, parsley and basil are just some of the essentials.
Here are my ideas for Christmas Eve fish dishes:
• Fresh sardines with removed heads, tails and backbones drenched in flour and fried.
• Baked flounder filets and pan-fried lemon sole filets.
• Bronzino is one of the best fishes for stuffing. Buy it whole and have it scaled and gutted and remove the head and tail, keeping them for the stock.
• For fish balls from cod and salmon, remove the salmon skin (saving it for stock) and grind the two fish, adding mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and Panko bread crumbs. Roll into small balls and fry. Use the fish balls in a pasta dish.
• Fish and chips, anyone? Select whole red snappers and have the fish monger filet them.
• Pick a type of pasta other than spaghetti and add anchovies to the sauce.
• Grill or pan fry fresh tuna for an Italian-style tuna salad. The fish stock will come in handy for sauces.
• Christmas fish soup.
Nobody says you have to stick to everything done Italian-style. Spruce it up with some smoked white fish and pickled herring for appetizers.
Mangia!
