Feast of the Seven Fishes - Then and Now

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an an increasingly popular dining event. Restaurants small and large are offering Feast of the Seven Fishes dinners at varying price points. I recently assisted in a cooking class  at L'Academie de Cuisine where the Feast of the Seven fishes was prepared. The menu included:

Caponata alla Siciliana

Baked stuffed mussels

Fish soup

Herbed shrimp

Linguine with tomato clam sauce

Fried Calamari

Roasted whitefish with rosemary

Broccoli with garlic

Pannetone

The instructor also shared with the class some of the history of the Feast of the Seven Fishes. I will share the information with you.

Historically, on Christmas Eve Italians usher in Christmas Day with Cena della Vigilia, the dinner of the vigil, a Sicilian custom which dates back to the 6th or 7th century, when fasting meant not eating or drinking anything but water for 12, 24 or even 48 hours before receiving Communion on Christmas. Today, the vigil is celebrated with one long, meatless, fish-filled dinner party with family and friends.

When it comes to the actual number of dishes served for the Cena della Vigilia, there is no consensus. In many landlocked area of Italy, three curses are prepared, representing the Three Wise Men or the Holy Trinity. In Abruzzo nine dishes are served. In southern Italy 11 to 13 dishes are served. In some areas as many  24 dishes are presented. The norm has settled at seven- seven different kinds of seafood, traditionally cooked in seven different ways.

Of all the dishes prepared in class I was most intrigued by the caponata. The recipe used in class required eggplant. celery, tuna, capers, pine nuts, onion, parsley and tomatoes. I found the pine nuts to be too costly and substituted them  with pepitas (pumpkin seeds).   The prep was very easy and the overall cooking time was about 40 minutes. It is suggested to serve the caponata on slices of toasted bread or as a side salad. I opted for the toasted baguette slices.

I have enjoyed  the Feast of the Seven Fishes with loved ones. Many years ago a friend of my mother, Mrs. Pallazini, invited the family for dinner on Christmas Eve. I was not aware that it was the Feast of the Seven Fishes. I just knew we were having dinner, there were about 12 at the table. The antipasti was presented. I ate a few items.  Snail salad was presented. I ate a small amount. Fried shrimp, fried scallops and French fries were presented. I ate numerous pieces of shrimp, scallops, and French fries.  I noticed others around me ate one or two pieces of seafood, but continued to nibble on the scallops and shrimp. Mrs. Pallazini cleared the plates and replaced them more dishes. I just knew we were having dessert. When Mrs. Pallazini announced that we were having "pasta and gravy", I squirmed. My stomach was full already! I ate a small amount of pasta and gravy.

Have you attended a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner? What did you enjoy most? Did you partake of all the courses?  Have you hosted a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner? What's your favorite dish to prepare? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Be well,

Technicolor girl

image created by Ink+LLC