The Feast of the Seven Fishes is the annual Christmas Eve epic seafood feast celebrated by Italian-Americans. For them, it’s this meal, rather than Christmas Day dinner, that is the centerpiece meal of Christmas. Family come from afar. Friends and neighbors may be invited.
I hope this is inspiration for stepping out of your traditional food comfort zone. You don’t have to be an Italian-American to start your own little Christmas Eve tradition. Have a theme dinner!
The origin of the Feast can be traced back to southern Italy. With its long coastline and bountiful seafood, food from the sea has always been a big part of their diets. The tradition of eating a large and meatless meal on Christmas Eve is common throughout Italy. Not surprisingly, Italian immigrants brought this tradition with them upon their arrival in America.
Although I can’t promise, there may be more recipes coming soon.
Cocktails
Amuse-bouche
Soup
- New England Clam Chowder, Instant Pot
- Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Thai Shrimp Soup) With Shiitake And Black Trumpet Mushrooms
Appetizer
- Authentic Hawaiian Tuna Poke
- Cast Iron Skillet BBQ Oysters
- Cast Iron Skillet BBQ Oysters Rockefeller
- Cast Iron Skillet BBQ Oysters With Ginger And Scallions薑葱生蠔
- Cast Iron Skillet Garlic-Parsley Butter BBQ Oysters
- Clam Dig! Steamed Clams With Edible Sand
- Hawaiian Salmon Poke
- Mexican Rockfish Ceviche (Ceviche De Pescado) On A Homemade Tostada
- Raw Oysters On The Half Shell With Cucumber Mignonette Or Cocktail Sauce
- Scallop Crudo With Uni And Caviar On Watermelon Radish
Salad
California Crab Feed
Sides
- Cioppino (San Francisco Seafood Stew), Instant Pot
- Honey Mustard Roasted Salmon Over Asparagus
- Linguine With Clams Ahoy! Sauce
- New England Clambake, Instant Pot
- Nigiri Sushi, Salmon Hand Roll (Temaki), And Tuna And Salmon Sashimi
- Pan Seared Salmon Tacos And Mango Salsa
- Sautéed Garlic Butter Shrimp Or Prawns
- Sesame Crusted Seared Tuna And Wilted Arugula Salad
- Shrimp, Okra, And Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo, Instant Pot
- Squid Ink Pasta With Clams, Scallops, And Uni Sauce
- Stir-Fried Hard-Shell Clams With Lemongrass In Fresh Southeast Asian Sauce (Tumis Kerang Dengan Sereh)
Cheese and fruit plate
Dessert
Post-meal drinks and pastries
