Christmas Eve marks the Feast of the Seven Fishes, when many Italian Americans traditionally gather to prepare and share a seafood-centric spread with family and friends.
It’s a ritual that dates to Italian migration to the U.S. in the 1800s, held in Roman-Catholic adherence to an abstinence from meat prior to a holiday, and informed by the kind of fish available here, and affordable to immigrants, at the time.
Since then, the feast has undergone an “evolution” of sorts, Anthony D’Angelo told Billy Penn. As co-owner of Philly’s leading purveyor of pescatarian products, Samuels Seafood, and its lobby store Giuseppe’s Market, he’s witnessed a steady growth in recent years in local restaurants offering Seven Fishes menus, as well as in the diversity of his own customers seeking to incorporate a version of the feast into their holiday meals. “Today, it’s shifting from a strictly Italian American tradition,” he said, “to a much more widely embraced idea.”
While the name might suggest a daunting preparation process, D’Angelo clarified it doesn’t need to be. The number seven was likely selected for its biblical connotations, but it’s not a strict rule. Some feasts swell up to double digits, others keep it down to five, or three. Arguably more important, D’Angelo said, is sticking with odd figures, “for good luck.”
Rules around the fish are similarly lax. While some varieties are certainly more customary than others, the lineup and cooking methods should be determined by personal preference. “If you like salmon, have salmon — there’s no reason why you shouldn’t.” D’Angelo said, stressing, “it’s more about the gathering and breaking bread together.”
That said, those looking for a taste of a more classic lineup should check out the list below as a starting point.
Baccala
It’s been said there are 365 ways to cook baccala, and a thousand more to serve it. Cod preserved in salt, as it used to be in times before refrigeration was an option, baccala can be laborious to prep — the fish must be soaked for two to three days in water best refreshed every 12 hours before cooking. Today, for the time-crunched among us (i.e., everyone), pre-soaked baccala is readily available in markets like Giuseppe’s. A savory, flaky fish, baccala braises well against the sweet acidity of tomato sauce and garlic, but is equally flavorful —and quick to prepare — oven roasted with onions and potatoes, or fritto, fried in a light batter.
Merluzzo
An underappreciated fish, according to D’Angelo, and “one of the better things you can buy at a market.” More responsibly sourced than cod — they’re members of the same family — whiting, or silver trout, is affordable, local, and available throughout the year. Like baccala, its versatility lends merluzzo to a variety of cooking techniques; most commonly pan fried, deep-fried, or baked with olive oil, garlic, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Scungilli
Often referred to as conches, which their Neapolitan name sconsiglio means, scungilli are actually a type of whelk, found in Atlantic waters and common along the East Coast of the US. This meaty mollusk is boiled before being scooped out of its shell, after which it’s cleaned, cut up, and used mostly for salads, or simmered in a tomato-based sauce for a rich gravy. With a chewy texture similar to calamari but a slightly sweeter taste, they’re also good for frying.
Smelt
A small silver fish like sardines or anchovies, smelt aren’t indigenous to the Mediterranean but grew in popularity among southern Italian immigrants as a substitute for the tiny bait fish typically fried as a quick and cheap salty snack back home. Smelt are prepared similarly, sometimes battered and floured before going into the oil. The smaller the fish the better, with D’Angelo explaining neonata, or newborn, are the most sought after.
Calamari
With a name stemming from the Latin word for reed pen, the ink-squirting cephalopod, abundant along Mediterranean shores, has long been a staple of Italian cuisine and, subsequently, Seven Fishes menus. The squids are sold whole or in tubes, rings, or tentacles, the latter sometimes used to add flavor to sauces. Easy to prep and quick to cook, fried calamari rings are a reliable go-to. For those looking for something equally traditional but a little more challenging, there’s stuffed calamari where the tubes, after a thorough cleaning, are filled with a mixture of bread crumb, parsley, cheese, and chopped hard boiled eggs, before sauteing and simmering at length in tomato sauce.
Eel
There’s a bit of a generational divide with this one, according to D’Angelo. While some traditionalists prefer to buy their eel, or anguila, living, others are happy with a more hassle-free, and sometimes skinned, specimen. The old school approach to preparing eel for a Seven Fishes feast usually involves seasoning and roasting or battering and frying, with or without the skin in either case. More popular among his younger customers, D’Angelo said, is Japanese-style unagi, where deboned eel filets are grilled or steamed.
Mussels
Classically, either steamed with white wine and garlic or cooked in marinara, they’re one of the more permanent fixtures on a Seven Fishes lineup. Stuffed mussels are also popular, especially among older generations, where the shells are steamed open, loaded with a bread crumb mix, tied shut with a string, and then slowly cooked in sauce. “It’s labor intensive,” D’Angelo said, “but really delicious.”
Giuseppe’s Market at Samuels Seafood | 3400 South Lawrence Street | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday (open this Sunday) | giuseppesmarket.com
