I love the Italian tradition of the 7 fishes and I know some people in my family will create a 7 fishes dinner around the holidays. In Brazil we usually celebrate Christmas eve with our families and friends, while Christmas day is usually celebrated with your immediate family. This year I figured on just having a nice quiet Christmas eve and then head to my in-laws Christmas day. On Christmas eve I cooked a little 5 fish dinner instead of 7 for my little family.
I made some scallops with a macarpone sauce with granny smith apples, Brussel sprouts with garlic, shallots and anchovies (which I didn’t have to add salt because there is enough in the anchovies), Crab Bisque soup, Littleneck clams with pomegranate seeds and white wine sauce (which turned purple because of the seeds) and Shrimp with a Saffron rice topped with asparagus and toasted sesame seeds. The tastes were delicious and very enjoyable. My kids chowed down the littlenecks which I was very surprised since they are 4 and 2 1/2. Other then my children, my husband is my best food critic. Well I hope you all had a great time eating this holiday season.
What did you eat this holiday season that was different or a tradition for your family?
Homemade Delish 
I’m impressed that you can cook so many fish dishes in one meal. I am some-what fish challenged.
I’d never heard of these 5 or 7 fishes traditions so very interesting. The ‘celebrity chefs’ have been promoting a new ‘fashion’ of the same thing prepared in different ways, but there’s nothing new under the sun, is there? Anyway, five preparations of (different) fish sounds a great idea and your menu must have been absolutely delicious. We eat fish most Tuesdays (that’s another story) but, inspired by this post, one week I’m going to surprise my wife with a 5 fishes menu.
What a delicious sounding meal…I’m sure it was wonderful.
What is the origin of the 5 or 7 fishes dinner? This is new to me.
Hi there, here is some information on it for you. The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian Christmas celebration. Today, it is a feast that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. However, some Italian-American families have been known to celebrate with nine, eleven or thirteen different seafood dishes. This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. It is unclear when the term “Feast of the Seven Fishes” was popularized. (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Seven_Fishes)
Coolio! Thank you.
Oh! And they all sound yummy! I think I’ll try the shrimp one because I love saffron.
I am Ukrainian Orthodox so our Christmas is yet to come (January 7). We make 12 non-meat dishes for Christmas Eve.