Feast of the Seven Fishes

As Procidos, we are obligated annually near the Christmas holiday to partake in an Italian American tradition called the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Traditionally, this feast is celebrated on Christmas Eve - but we all know how busy this time of year is, so our rendition is not always scheduled on that day. Originating in southern Italy - most likely Sicily, Italians are often of the Roman Catholic faith. This lends to the fact that a feast to celebrate the midnight arrival of baby Jesus was in order, and as good Catholics do not eat meat on Christmas Eve - a feast of seafood would only be an appropriate necessity!

This year, we cooked a Feast of 9 Fishes on Christmas Eve Eve, comprised of the following menu:

Smoked Salmon with Red Onion and Capers on Vegan Cream Cheese and Crackers
Shrimp and Dill dip
Fried Calamari with Marinara Sauce
Whole Baked Flounder
Grilled Shrimp over a Bright Cabbage Salad
Seared Scallops on Polenta Rounds with Crabmeat and Garlic Aioli
Oysters Rockefeller 
Mussels in White Wine Sauce over Whole Wheat Linguine

These dishes were paired nicely with a variety of white and rose sparkling wines chosen by none other but Mike Procido (Papa Procido) - the best wine connoisseur that I know!

Smoked Salmon Appetizer

A play on the traditional Bagels and Locks - often served in Jewish households or northeastern communities, smoked salmon is a favorite! This fresh and fatty fish pairs beautifully with the crunch and flavor of bermuda onion and the salty italian taste of capers. In order to please my sister Katie's dairy allergy, we substituted the Philly cream cheese for a tofu alternative.... and the real thing was not missed! Salmon was the star here.

Fried Calamari

How can you go wrong with fried squid? Calamari is one of my favorite things, if it's done right. We simply sliced the calamari into rings and breaded it with corn flour. It was deep fried in canola oil and served with a simple marinara sauce. Classic!

Papa Procido Making Aioli

Aioli is a garlic based sauce. Let me tell you - this aioli had more garlic than anything I've ever had, but it was delicious! Lots of fresh lemon juice added just the right amount of acid to this sauce, which was eventually served with a sea scallop seared in a cast iron skillet. We served the scallop over a grilled round of polenta and topped it with a heaping serving of beautiful fresh jumbo lump crab meat! Yum.

Scallops & Blue Crab Over Polenta

The next thing was just absolutely necessary.... if you're going to have a seafood feast, you have to have a whole fish! This flounder was the perfect fresh and flaky white fish. Light and delectable :)

Whole Baked Flounder

Coleslaw? Not in the Procido house! Dad made this amazing spin on an Alice Waters recipe for coleslaw using no mayonnaise what so ever. Instead, the cabbage greens were dressed with a nice olive oil, Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar, fresh lemon juice, garlic .... and when I asked how much, my dad replies "The recipe says 2 cloves. Throw in about 6!" and a fair amount of fresh parsley. We allowed the flavors to marry with the greens for about an hour and reincorporated everything. Another hour later when the grill is hot and the shrimp are ready, we plated some of this bright slaw and topped it with grilled shrimp. A very very delicious dish - probably my favorite of the night!

Grilled Shrimp With Refreshing Cabbage Slaw

In addition to these seafood dishes, Katie also baked a flavorful loaf of vegan garlic bread... just to add some madness to our already garlic infused meal! This bread was nice to have with the tapas - greek olives with chiles, freshwater mozzarella with cracked black pepper and himalayan salt, plus the shrimp and dill dip, among others! I can't emphasize enough how perfectly the wine was paired with each of these courses. We were drinking Roderer Rose Sparkling, Swanson Pinot Grigio, Ramey, and a few others that I usually wouldn't drink in December but they were perfect with this seafood feast!!!

At the end of it all - my dad surprised me with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, my long awaited number one WANT in life. Oh man, was I shocked and enthused beyond belief!!! Thanks Dad - you've outdone yourself :)

It's Mine!!!

I hope that you all celebrated with your family traditions and had an amazing and very Merry Christmas!!! More to come on the remainder of this weekend of feasts!