Feast of the Seven Fishes

Feast of the Seven Fishes

An elaborate tradition with origins among Italians and Italian Americans, this seven-course Christmas Eve seafood feast is quite the celebration. Our recipe takes inspiration from this smorgasbord of coastal fare and combines seven types of seafood into one delicious stew.

Feast of the Seven Fishes
 
Makes about 12 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound red snapper fillets, skin removed, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 10 ounces cod loins, thawed, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onion
  • 2 cups chopped yellow bell pepper
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 48 ounces seafood stock
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 4 dried bay leaves
  • 1 pound large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
  • 12 oysters, shucked
  • 8 ounces frozen Patagonian scallops, thawed
  • 8 ounces crab claw meat
  • 8 ounces frozen fully cooked and peeled langostino lobster tails, thawed
  • Toasted sliced French bread, for serving
  • Garnish: lemon wedges, fresh thyme
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, add fish, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper, tossing until well coated.
  2. In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, red pepper, remaining 2½ teaspoons salt, and remaining 1½ teaspoons black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine, scraping bits from bottom of pot. Let liquid reduce slightly, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, stock, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves, stirring until well combined; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; add fish, cover, and simmer for45 minutes. Do not stir.
  3. Stir in shrimp and oysters, submerging fully. Simmer until shrimp are pink and firm and oysters are plump, about 2 minutes. Stir in scallops, crabmeat, and lobster tails. Cook until scallops are firm and no longer opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm with bread. Garnish with lemon and thyme, if desired.

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