Who's cooking fish on Christmas eve?

[buckytom]

since we're not italian, we don't do the festa dei sette pesci, or feast of the seven fishes, but dw's family and mine both had similar traditions on christmas eve. so, in order to carry on our polish, slovakian, irish, and norwegian customs, we're making fish for dinner before santa arrives.

so far, we're planning to make smoked whiting on crackers, shrimp cocktail, littleneck clams in wine, garlic and herbs, and fried flounder. i may add a steamed lobter ir two since they're on sale (don't tell addie )

if i added scallops and scungilli in a fra diavolo sauce, i'd make my seven, but there's only three of us so it's already too much.

hmm, then there's always fried calamari.


anyone else cook fish on the eve of jesus' birth? if so, how ya doin'it?

do you try to get in 7 fishes to represent the 7 sacraments?

 

[msmofet]

This year the plan is stuffed clams, fried cod, stuffed mushrooms, tater tots garlic breadand veggie. Cheesecake with cherry topping for dessert. But menu can change at any time.

When I was a kid living at home we had BIG family dinners for Christmas eve and day. We had so many kinds of fish for Christmas Eve. Cooked in many ways and served hot and cold. Including whole (head on) fried smelts (kind of freaked me out LOL).

 

[buckytom]

lol, me too! my dad loved whole smelts. he'd crunch right through the whole thing, head, tail, fins, bones and all.

i have never tried that, but i've had cleaned (beheaded and tailed) fried smelts that were good. but crunchy fish heads???

 

[msmofet]

lol, me too! my dad loved whole smelts. he'd crunch right through the whole thing, head, tail, fins, bones and all.

i have never tried that, but i've had cleaned (beheaded and tailed) fried smelts that were good. but crunchy fish heads???

It's freaky looking at a fish looking back at you through breading!! Plus my family cooked the raw crabs and squid (calamari) in the sauce. I was never a big fish eater. So it was un-nerving scooping out a crab, crab legs or tenticles when you were hoping for a meatball or sausage!!

 

[jusnikki]

First I heard of it...

 

[Rocklobster]

No cooking on xmas eve. Just a spread of grazing platters. Cheeses, pate, cured sausages, cwakers, crusty bread, olives, and other assorted relishes. There will be some pickled shrimp, possibly oysters rockefeller, I would love calamari, but that makes such a mess and I don't like being around hot oil when I am full of cheer(if you know what I mean. hic!).

 

[ChefJune]

not sure if I'm cooking Christmas eve. (I'm doing Xmas Day) but if I do it will be Pici Pasta with shrimp and scallops in a white wine sauce.

 

[Big Toni]

Yes, we always had battered white fish, usually sole, on Christmas Eve. I don't honestly know if this was our Hungarian tradition, or the fact my parents were Catholic. It is a tradition I continue. Our fish is served with a lite batter, deep friend, of course, and served with a traditional cold Hungarian potato salad. At least a couple or hours or longer before the meal, peel and slice cooked potatos into rounds. Slice onions. Ratio is about 1/2 an onion for each potate. Mix salt, black pepper, vinegar, and cold water. Sorry, I don't measure but the taste is more vinegar than watery. Pour over potatos and marinate in fridge. Taste before serving for salt, etc. This is not for someone who doesn't like onion!

 

[Addie]

since we're not italian, we don't do the festa dei sette pesci, or feast of the seven fishes, but dw's family and mine both had similar traditions on christmas eve. so, in order to carry on our polish, slovakian, irish, and norwegian customs, we're making fish for dinner before santa arrives.
so far, we're planning to make smoked whiting on crackers, shrimp cocktail, littleneck clams in wine, garlic and herbs, and fried flounder. i may add a steamed lobter ir two since they're on sale (don't tell addie )
if i added scallops and scungilli in a fra diavolo sauce, i'd make my seven, but there's only three of us so it's already too much.
hmm, then there's always fried calamari.
anyone else cook fish on the eve of jesus' birth? if so, how ya doin'it?
do you try to get in 7 fishes to represent the 7 sacraments?

I heard that!!! You can have my lobster. but you have to listen to my tale of woe!

My husband came in from a trip and brought 16 lobsters with him. By then I had filled my lifelong need for lobsters. I put them in the bottom crisper drawer on a wet towel, and promptly forgot all about them. When the neighbors found out about that smell that was coming from my trash, they were ready to tar and feather me.

 

[Andy M.]

We don't do a special Christmas Eve dinner. Our focus has always been on the next day. Since I'lll be alone for Christmas Eve this year, I'll probably cook myself something SO doesn't like.

 

[Addie]

We don't do a special Christmas Eve dinner. Our focus has always been on the next day. Since I'lll be alone for Christmas Eve this year, I'll probably cook myself something SO doesn't like.

My oldest sone and I aare having a bit pot of corn chowder. I already have the onions and salt pork cut up.

 

[Aunt Bea]

This year it is going to be homemade pizza with anchovies.

I guess I will have to burp seven times to meet the quota!

 

[ChefJune]

This year it is going to be homemade pizza with anchovies.

I guess I will have to burp seven times to meet the quota!

Aunt Bea, are you getting a comedy routine ready? You're really on a roll!

 

[Rocklobster]

This year it is going to be homemade pizza with anchovies.

I guess I will have to burp seven times to meet the quota!

Bring on the anchovies!!!

 

[buckytom]

This year it is going to be homemade pizza with anchovies.

I guess I will have to burp seven times to meet the quota!

that only counts if you preface it with "forgive me father"...

 

[Aunt Bea]

that only counts if you preface it with "forgive me father"...

Let me check with Whoopi Goldberg and I will get back to you.

 

[DaveSoMD]

Growing up there was always fish on Christmas Eve, usually whole trout for each adult. I go with fried haddock since I'm not big on whole fish. We also used to have beet soup and pickled herring.... Mmmm I might have to go be some of that and some rye bread.

 

[pacanis]

The first I heard of this tradition was when Kathleen mentioned it in her thread. I think it sounds pretty cool. I know I won't be doing anything like it this Christmas Eve, but I'm not ruling out having some kind of fish. I hadn't really planned on anything yet.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Christmas Eve, nothing special. We watch Christmas movies and snuggle.

 

[Addie]

I am willing to do my part. One can of tuna coming up.