Christmas Eve rituals vary from culture to culture, but few are as interesting or compelling as the coastal Italian tradition of The Feast of The Seven Fishes.
With peasant roots, this yearly fish fest is a time for families to share and extol the joys of seafood.
Legend calls for seven fish selections to be served at this feast, which some say is symbolic of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.
These fish dishes can include, but are not limited to, anchovy, cod, tuna, squid, smelts, haddock, whiting, mussels, shrimp and lobster.
The meal is then rounded off with pasta and vegetables.
Keeping this cultural phenomenon alive has been the quest of Robert A. Germano, of West Virginia, author of “The Eve of the Seven Fishes: Christmas Cooking in the Peasant Tradition.”
“As I became one of the oldest on the block, I wanted to make sure the tradition of Christmas Eve lived on for future generations,” Germano said.
An essential ingredient to many feast tables is Baccala (salt cod).
“Most of Italy was poor and fish had to be salt cured,” Germano said. “Our feast always includes a Baccala casserole prepared with a simple tomato-base sauce.”
Marlena Rigato, from Northern Italy and chef de cuisine at Boccaccio?s in Baltimore?s Little Italy, is well aware of the importance of this fish extravaganza.
“Every year I find a note in the kitchen for us to make Baccala for one of our customers,” she said. “We make it like his mother. It is a delicate procedure that takes time and care.”
Vic Romita, a New York transplant and Baltimore resident of more than 22 years, remembers the dried salt cod from his childhood celebrations.
“We lived on a small property in Queens, and when my grandfather made the Baccala, it would stink up the whole property,” Romita said. “I?d make it now but I¹m afraid the smell would drive down the property values on my house.”
The fishy smell doesn?t seem to bother Germano.
“My favorite dish is the Baccala casserole … no, probably the fried smelts, or maybe it?s the spaghetti with anchovies. But then again, the Baccala salad really hits the spot,” he said.
