An Italian-American Christmas Eve classic: multiple seafood plates celebrating abundance. Here’s a practical, staged plan for 5–7 fish/shellfish preparations plus a key, show-stopping recipe (Spicy Seafood Stew) to anchor your feast.

Festa dei Sette Pesci (Feast of Seven Fishes)

Servings: 6 - 8

Preparation: 120m

Cooking: 60m

Skill Level: Advanced

Ingredients:

Fried calamari (squid tubes, flour, salt, lemon)

Grilled branzino or sea bass (olive oil, rosemary, lemon)

Clams in white wine garlic sauce (vongole)

Mussels steamed in tomato & basil or white wine

Shrimp scampi (garlic, butter, lemon)

Spicy seafood stew (cioppino-style) — see recipe below

Baccala fritters or baked fish as an extra

Spicy Seafood Stew (Cioppino-style):

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional)

1–2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)

1 cup dry white wine

1 can (800 g) crushed tomatoes + 2 cups fish stock or clam juice

1 lb mussels (cleaned)

1 lb clams (cleaned)

300–400 g firm white fish (cod/halibut), cut into chunks

8–10 large shrimp, peeled, tails on

Fresh parsley, basil; salt & pepper; crusty bread to serve

Cooking Steps:

Clean shellfish early (clams/mussels in salted water to purge sand). Pat dry.

Chop aromatics, measure wine and tomatoes, portion fish. Have bread ready to toast.

Heat oil in large pot. Sauté onion, fennel, garlic until translucent. Add red pepper flakes.

Deglaze with white wine; reduce by half. Add crushed tomatoes + fish stock; simmer 15–20 min for depth.

Add clams & mussels first; cover and cook 3–5 minutes until they open (discard any that stay closed).

Add fish chunks and shrimp; simmer 3–5 minutes until cooked through.

Taste, adjust salt, finish with chopped parsley and basil. Serve steaming with grilled bread rubbed with garlic.

Make cioppino last so shellfish are fresh and juices are bright. It’s forgiving but doesn’t love reheating.

Fried calamari: coat rings in flour + seasoned salt, fry 1–2 min at 180°C, drain on rack. Serve with lemo

Grilled branzino: score sides, rub with oil & salt, grill 4–6 min per side depending on size. Finish with lemon.

Clams in white wine: sauté garlic, add clams + wine, steam covered until open; finish with parsley.

Rating

Le Chef Tip

Not a Chef but... Just call him Chef, please!

Purge clams/mussels for sand 30–60 minutes in salted water; change water if very sandy.

Don’t overcook shrimp or fish — they should be just opaque. Overdone seafood = rubber.

Cioppino is naturally salty; taste before adding extra salt. Shellfish release briny juices.

Serve with plenty of crusty bread to mop up sauce — it’s sacrilege not to.

Tony Toast
December 14, 2025
11:05 pm
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Festa dei Sette Pesci (Feast of Seven Fishes)

Ingredients:

Spicy Seafood Stew (Cioppino-style):

Cooking Steps:

Le Chef Tip

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