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In partnership with Vital Choice
My family has been celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are of gathering for seafood salad and fried calamari in my grandmother’s basement while the adults cooked dinner and sipped cocktail-hour libations. It’s still one of my favorite nights of the year and a very fun and festive way to commemorate the season, even if you aren’t Italian American.
Not to put a damper on the holiday celebration right out of the gate, but there’s something you should keep in mind as you plan your banquet this year: overfishing is a serious problem. Thankfully, it’s not difficult to find seafood from healthy, well-managed fisheries, especially when there are excellent online resources like Vital Choice. The company was founded in 2001 with a focus on selling wild Alaskan salmon and has since grown to offer all kinds of fish and shellfish from wild, environmentally responsible fisheries around the globe. They even have pastured proteins, organic foods and excellent ready-to-eat products.
There are so many ways to celebrate Feast of the Seven Fishes, but consider this handy guide a starting point to inspire your holiday table. Best of all? When you shop with Vital Choice, you can have it all shipped right to your door so you don’t have to brave the winter weather (or holiday crowds) to assemble the perfect menu.
Wild Sardines With Olive Oil and Red Chili Pepper
One of my favorite ways to kick off the Feast of the Seven is with conservas, not only because they’re delicious but because opening a can is about the easiest thing you can do. These wild Portuguese sardines come dressed with olive oil, red pepper and sea salt. Simply set them out with a sleeve of crackers and let your guests do the rest.
Shrimp Cocktail
I’ve been loving shrimp cocktail lately and have noticed a lot of new restaurants offering it on their menu as an appetizer. This is another easy one to make on Christmas Eve because you can nab it in advance and chill it in the fridge until right before guests arrive. Make sure to buy wild shell-on prawns or shrimp for the tastiest dish possible.
How to Celebrate Feast of the Seven Fishes Like an Italian
The classic Christmas Eve meal is about as festive as it getsLobster Salad
Every year I prepare my grandfather’s seafood salad as a Christmas Eve appetizer. It contains clams, shrimp and squid, but you can also simplify things for yourself and just use one fish — which is exactly where this lobster salad comes in. Cook the lobster tails and assemble the dish the night before so you have one less thing to handle the day of the celebration.
Tuna and Anchovy Pasta
While some things change year-to-year at my Xmas Eve celebration, the tuna and anchovy pasta always remains. It’s simple, tasty and a perfect primi course before the mains come out. Plus, it counts for two different fish, meaning you have less to make.
This one couldn’t be simpler. Cook a pot of boiling spaghetti until it’s al dente (this is typically two minutes less than the cooking time on the box, but always taste along the way to be sure). In a separate pan, sauté garlic and a can of chopped Cantabrian anchovy fillets in plenty of olive oil. Add two cans of MSC Ventresca albacore tuna in olive oil and cook until just heated through. Mix the seafood sauce with the spaghetti, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Fried Calamari
Another Feast staple in the Gabriele household, fried calamari is best straight out of the oil and onto a plate. Vital Choice sells raw calamari that’s been cleaned, so all you have to do is bread, fry and salt. I suggest preparing the breading mixture a day or two in advance so it’s ready to go when you are. This fried calamari recipe is solid, but feel free to ditch the cocktail sauce when serving — a squeeze of fresh lemon is perfect.
Baked Salmon
Because you’re going to be frying calamari, you need a main dish that is low-maintenance and delicious. Enter baked salmon, which can be seasoned quickly and only has to roast for about 15 minutes. Vital Choice’s Wild Pacific king salmon fillets are perfect for this, especially because they come individually portioned so you can make any last-minute adjustments with ease.
If you’re ready to celebrate Feast of the Seven Fishes this year, Vital Choice is offering 15% off $99+ with the code INSIDEHOOKVC now through 12/31.
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