Gordon Rock - Nonna Cooks for Christmas: 40 Authentic Italian Recipes – To Celebrate Christmas Eves Feast of The Seven Fishes

Nonna Cooks for Christmas

40 Authentic Italian Recipes To Celebrate Christmas Eves Feast of The Seven Fishes

By

Gordon Rock

Published by Gordon Rock at Smashwords

Copyright 2020 Gordon Rock

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Christmas in Italy is all about family and all over the country, every Christmas Eve the holiday season is celebrated with a seven-course feast made up of the finest fish and seafood dishes.

Although the tradition originates in southern Italy, where it is called La Vigilia (the Vigil), The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American celebration of the birth of the baby Jesus at midnight on Christmas Eve; 24th December.

No-one knows where the Feast of the Seven Fishes got its name and in fact, very often families celebrate with up to 11 or even 13 different fish and seafood dishes.

It may sound like a lot of food, but the courses tend to be light, starting with canaps, salads, moving on to grilled, seared and heartier fish dishes culminating in simple pasta, and fish stews.

The feast finishes with palate cleansing sorbets, gelato and traditional desserts including biscotti and cannoli.

This Christmas Eve, discover the Feast of the Seven Fishes with our 40 best Italian recipes and enjoy seven seafood-focused courses as Nonna Cooks for Christmas.

A lot of people enjoy eating anchovies when they are fresh and conserved in salt they are full of flavor. Italian anchovies are plump, full of flavor and among the very best in the world. This recipe combines salt and citrus for the perfect pairing.

Portions: 4

Prep Time: 15mins

Cooking Time: N/A

Total Time: 24hours 15mins

Ingredients:

• pound anchovies
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste)
• Salt
• Vinegar
• Oregano (chopped)
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. First, clean and scale the anchovies before washing them under cold running tap water. Pat dry.

2. Arrange the anchovies in a baking dish or terrine and generously cover them with freshly squeezed lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and a dash of vinegar and scatter with oregano.

3. Allow the anchovies to marinate for one full day.

4. Drain, and place on a serving platter.

5. Season well and drizzle with olive oil.

A cold octopus salad for the second course of the feast is a perfect way to move on into the more hearty courses. This baby octopus salad is dressed with a zesty lemon parsley dressing.

Portions: 4

Prep Time: 20mins

Cooking Time: 40mins

Total Time: 1hour

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds baby octopus
• 3 medium carrots (coarsely chopped)
• 1 medium onion (peeled, quartered)
• 3 ribs celery (chopped)
• 1 whole lemon (seeded, cut in half)
• Juice of 1 whole lemon
• cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• tsp salt
• Pepper
• Lettuce (to serve)

Directions:

1. In a large pot filled with cold water, add the octopus along with the carrots, onion, celery and two halves of lemon. Bring to boil, before lowering the heat to a simmer and cooking for 40 minutes.

2. Take the baby octopus out of the pot and discard the pots contents.

3. Take a sharp knife, and carefully chop the octopus into small pieces, taking care not to chop too finely.

4. In a mixing bowl, whisk the lemon juice into a cup of olive oil, until the liquid becomes emulsified. Add the parsley and season to taste, stirring to combine.

5. Lay crisp lettuce onto a serving plate and arrange the octopus on top.

6. Drizzle generously with the lemon vinaigrette.

Clams Casino is a favorite dish served during the holidays. The recipe for Clams Casino originated in the early 20th century at Rhode Islands Casino at Narragansett Pier but soon got on to the menu in Italian-American restaurants throughout the USA.

Portions: 6

Prep Time: 20mins

Cooking Time: 25mins

Total Time: 45mins

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 ounces pancetta (sliced, finely chopped)
• 1 cup red bell pepper (finely diced)
• cup shallots (chopped)
• 2 large cloves garlic (minced)
• tsp dried oregano
• cup dry white wine
• 4 tbsp. Parmesan (freshly grated)
• Salt and Black Pepper
• 18 medium (2) Littleneck clams (shucked, reserve bottom shells)*

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan or skillet over moderate heat, heat the oil.

2. Add the slices of pancetta and fry until golden and crispy, this will take around 3 minutes.

3. Using a slotted kitchen utensil, transfer the fried pancetta to a serving plate.

4. Add the red bell pepper along with the shallots, garlic, and oregano to the skillet and fry until the shallots are translucent and just tender, 4-5 minutes.

5. Pour in the white wine and simmer until the liquid almost completely evaporates 2-3 minutes.

6. Remove from the skillet and allow to completely cool.

7. Stir the reserved pancetta together with half of the grated Parmesan into the veggie mixture.

8. Season well to taste.

9. Preheat the main oven to 500 degrees F.

10. Line a large and heavy baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the Littleneck clams in their reserved shell on the sheet.

11. Spoon the veggie mixture into evenly divided mounds on top of the clams.

12. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and bake until the clams are cooked thoroughly, and the topping is golden and brown 8-10 minutes.

13. Arrange the clams on a serving platter and serve.

*Shucking clams isn't very easy so why not buy them pre-shucked from your seafood counter. Simply ask them to pack up the bottom shells for cooking and serving.

Shrimp Cocktail is a popular Italian and elegant way to start a holiday feast. This version is prepared in the Italian way. Instead of being made with ketchup and horseradish this Shrimp Cocktail is spooned onto a bed of crisp lettuce and garnished with salmon roe.

Portions: 3

Prep Time: 10mins

Cooking Time: