And Feast, We Will! – A Little History on the Southern Italian Tradition of “The Feast of the Seven Fishes”.

One of the things I appreciate about our Dinner Club is the willingness among its members to try dishes and themes that we’ve not been exposed to previously. I love that our group comes with ideas each year that we choose to pursue doggedly, regardless of our own typical eating preferences and “safe” familiar foods.

This week’s Dinner Club is just such an occasion. We will explore a menu based on a Southern Italian Christmas Eve tradition of honoring religious heritage by dining on a meal consisting solely of seafood.

According to www.wikipedia.org, “The Feast of the Seven Fishes (festa dei sette pesci), celebrated on Christmas Eve, also known as The Vigil (La Vigilia), is believed to have originated in Southern Italy and is not a known tradition in many parts of Italy. This celebration is a commemoration of the wait, Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus.”

Regional gastronomical traditions are a thing we can relate to right here in the United States. For example, most of the Midwestern-rooted families here in Nebraska eat some sort of bread “stuffing” with their upcoming Thanksgiving turkey dinner. My family tradition is different, having emerged from my mother’s southern heritage. We dine on “dressing” from a base of cornbread and biscuits rather than bread.

Again, according to www.wikipedia.org, “The long tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman 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 on such days, 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 Southern roots of “the feast” are not only in homage to their religious beliefs, but an opportunity to showcase the fruits of the sea so readily available in this region from areas such as Puglia, Calabria and Campania (where Naples is located).

According to an article at www.saveur.com, “The dishes and the types of fish served for La Vigilia are ultimately dictated by geography. In Naples, for instance, the devout leave certain treats on the table overnight for the angel who heralds Christ's birth; for this reason, many dishes are vinegar-based to preserve them. Around Lake Como in the north, large trout, which are only fished during the holiday season, are common.” For the complete article, visit: http://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Feast-Of-The-Seven-Fishes .

For our feast, we’re combining these traditional dishes such as salt cod with tomatoes and capers, with elements that are less experimental, but completely “pesci” (and assuredly palatable to our Midwestern taste buds), such as “gamberini in sfoglia” (puff pastry shrimp) and crostini with lump crab salad. For dessert; homemade cannoli! The meal is sure to satisfy everyone, even those who aren’t “typical” seafood consumers!

Here’s another fun link to a video commentary by well-known chef Mario Batali on his own family history with the “feast”: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/christmas/batalisevenfishesvideos?currentvideo=5295883001 .

Finally, a recipe to share with you: This is what I’ve been assigned to make for the night. It’s super-simple and sounds amazing! Sometimes the most basic flavor combinations tend to produce the most delicious results; even absent of rich sauces and a lengthy list of ingredients. Here’s hoping it’s as good as it sounds. And if not, there will be plenty else to eat on our menu this Saturday! I’ll let you know how it goes, of course.

We found this recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/ :

Crostini with Lump Crab Salad and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Epicurious | November 2007
Rick Tramonto
Reprinted with permission from Fantastico!
Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Rick Tramonto's book Fantastico!

Don't look any further for a succulent crab salad open-face sandwich. The little garlic toasts piled high with rich, moist crab can be polished off in one or two bites. I can't think of a better way to start a meal! Don't skimp on the crabmeat. You need only a pound, so buy the best you can find. Bon appétit!

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh lump crabmeat
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 roasted red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon torn fresh basil
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

8 to 12 slices Rick's Basic Crostini

Preparation:

1. Pick through the crabmeat to remove any bits of shell. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl.

2. Add the 1/2 cup of olive oil, bell pepper, chives, basil, lemon juice and zest and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Top each crostini with about 1 tablespoon of the crab mixture. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.