The holidays are coming to a close. This past weekend on Christmas Eve my family celebrated La Vigila, the Italian dinner of the seven fishes. I had the pleasure of partnering up with Acme Markets to make the experience that much better.
Acme was a one stop shop for me, providing all the fresh herbs, produce and seafood to make my seven fishes dinner delicious. I’m always a little picky about getting seafood at supermarkets. It’s sometimes difficult to find good, fresh selections. I always look for color and smell of seafood first. Seafood should smell like the sea, not fishy. The Acme seafood counter person was very helpful in telling me when shipment came in. The seafood that I chose was fresh with no bad fishy smells, making me a happy customer.
Below you will find 3 out of the 7 fish recipes I created for Christmas Eve. I hope everyone has a blessed new year.
Baccala fritters
Ingredients:
4 large russet potato, peeled and cubed
2 lbs baccala (salted cod)
1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preparation:
Before you begin the process you must keep salted cod in water for at least 24 hours and change the water 3 times a day. This will help remove the excess salt.
In a large saucepan add enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat and cook just until fork tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and place into a large bowl to cool. Mash the potatoes with potato masher until smooth but still slightly lumpy. In a large sauce pan add cod and boil for about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool until easy to handle. Take a fork and flake the cod. Next add the cod, green onions, parsley, 4 eggs, the salt, and cayenne and mix until smooth. Place in the mixtures in the refrigerator for about an hour. In a large, deep, heavy pot heat enough oil to fry the balls,. Temperature should 350 degrees F. In a small bowl place the flour. In another bowl beat together the remaining eggs. In a third bowl, place the Panko crumbs. Now begin to form the balls to your desire. One at a time, dip the cod balls in the flour and roll to coat evenly on all sides. Shake to remove any excess flour, dip in the egg, and then roll in the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet. In batches, gently add the balls to the oil and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.
Lump Crabmeat Crostini
Ingredients:
1 16oz can Blu Lump crabmeat
3 stalks of celery, diced
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt & pepper, to taste
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Crostini, for serving
Preparation:
Drain the crabmeat and place in a medium bowl. Add all of the ingredients stir and serve with crostini.
Baby clams and saffron risotto
Ingredients:
1 small shallot, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 cups arborio
2 cups white wine, (Preferably Sauvignon Blanc)
6 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons evoo
2 lb baby clams, rinsed
Pinch of saffron
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Preparation:
In a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the baby clams, 1 cup white wine, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
Add the butter to the pan. Add shallots. Cook until translucent about 3 minutes. Add the rice. Stir until well coated and translucent (about 2 minutes). Add the remaining wine. Cook and stir often, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and season with salt, pepper and saffron. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for about 15 minutes until creamy.
Pour risotto into dish and top with baby clams. Add fresh parsley. Serve.
Disclosure: Opinions are my own. Acme Markets provided gift cards for recipe development
