Feast of the Seven Fishes

Feast of the Seven Fishes

Southern Italians around the world celebrate Christmas Eve with a Feast of the Seven Fishes, also known as La Vigilia (Italian: "the vigil").

It is a meal that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. Some Italian families have been known to celebrate with 9, 11 or 13 different seafood dishes. This celebration is a commemoration of the wait, Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. The tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the medieval Catholic tradition of abstinence--in this case, refraining from the consumption of meat or milk products--on Fridays and specific holy days. As no meat or butter could be used, observant Catholics would instead eat fish, typically fried in oil.

There are many hypotheses for what the number "7" relates to, one being the number of Sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church. Another theory is that seven is a number representing perfection: the traditional Biblical number for divinity is three, and for Earth is four, and the combination of these numbers, seven, represents God on Earth, or Jesus Christ. The components to the meal are similar for most families as there are always some seven combinations of anchovies, sardines, dried salt cod, smelts, eels, squid, octopus, shrimp, mussels, oysters, and clams. In the mixes are pastas, vegetables, baked or fried kale patties, baked goods, and the pride-filled homemade wine. Also, this tradition still remains very popular to this day. http://wikipedia.com/

Well, this year my mom rented a little cozy cabin up on Lake Murrary for the week of Christmas. Even though she and her husband live in Lexington, it will be a mini-holiday get-a-way. My responsibility is Christmas Eve dinner. Having grown up in Connecticut in a Catholic family, with a little Italian background in the mix too, we honor the "no meat" tradition on Christmas Eve. I am tossing around a few recipes...here are 3 choices. I want to keep it simple, not too heavy, and fresh. Which recipe do YOU think I should make?

Tuscan Shrimp with White Beans
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

Ingredients
3 cups canned Cannelloni white beans
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
16 large shrimp, peeled (tail left on) and deveined
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small serrano chile, thinly sliced or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 cup peeled, seeded and diced fresh tomato, canned or fresh
1 cup whole basil leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Best-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Directions
Drain the beans over a bowl and reserve the liquid. Put the white beans in a large skillet with just enough of their liquid to moisten them. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and bring the beans to a low simmer. Keep them warm while you prepare the shrimp.
Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp, season with salt and cook for about 1 minute, tossing frequently. Remove the shrimp with tongs to a bowl. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until the garlic browns. Add the serrano chile or chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato and basil and stir briefly, then add the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, and then stir in the shrimp. Toss well and cook briefly to reheat the shrimp. Remove the shrimp mixture to a plate and sprinkle with parsley.
Spoon the white beans on a platter or individual plates. Drizzle them with the best olive oil you have, and then top with the shrimp. Serve warm.

Green Pasta with Shrimp

courtesy: The Fresh Market

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

3 cups water

1 pound fresh shrimp, unpeeled

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning 1 pound asparagus

Dressing

1 1/2 cups fresh basil

1/2 cup TFM Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

3 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

8 - 12 ounces TFM Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Preparation:

Make dressing by processing basil, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil: add shrimp and Creole seasoning. Cook for 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain and rinse with cold water. Peel shrimp, and devein if desired, set aside. (Or sauté peeled shrimp in Creole seasoning before adding to pasta.) Snap off tough ends of the asparagus; cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions, adding asparagus the last 3-5 minutes. Drain. Combine shrimp, pasta, and asparagus in a large bowl; drizzle mixture with dressing, tossing gently to coat.

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

2007, Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

2 (14.5-ounce) cans of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices

1/4 cup finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

tablespoon finely minced fresh dill

1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese(about 3 ounces)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat the oil in an oven proof skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomato juices thicken. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, dill, and shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the feta over the top. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and cheese melts, about 12 minutes.