For Italian Christmas Eve-ers

What kind of fish do you have for dinner?

Might be taking this on this year here in the UK with the inlaws...at my house EVERYTHING is fried Might be a little too much for them. What are good intro to Italian Christmas eve dishes?

We usually have linguini and clam sauce and stuffed lobster..yum!! can't wait!!

I thought the Brits fried everything too?
We don't do the whole Christmas eve thing, but my uncle used to sometimes & I recall calamari
(steamed I guess) with spagetti & tomato sauce.

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Posted by tourist

I thought the Brits fried everything too?

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No, they put yucky, drippy, soupy, watery mayo on everything!

Let's see at my house they usually do shrimp cocktail, then fried shrimp, fried calamari and fried flounder, baked clams, and then linguini with tomato sauce - and usually there's mussels and calamari in the sauce.

*sigh* it's my favorite meal of the year!!! Not sure my anorexic SIL will be into it though

* Stuffed Calamari
* Codfish with stewed tomatoes & onions
* Shrimp Scampi
* Fish Salad - octopus, calarmi, scungilli, shrimp with oil, garlic, lemon & parsley
* Linguini in a red sauce with mussels, shrimp, calamari, & clams
* Baked Clams

We do a big Italian Christmas eve, but I despise seafood so its like a mini-fast for me

We do the baccala which is the codfish .. my grandmother (may she rest in peace ) used to make it but now my aunt or Mom does.. But they make it three different ways. I cannot even look at it!

We also have lobster, filet of sole, clams, spaghetti 'allege' (with anchovies, I'm sorry my Italian stinks so I'm not sure how to type it) , shrimp, baked clams, and sometimes scallops. Oh yea, and the calamari but NOT fried which is totally gross ()

Blech to all of it! Just give me the bread basket and some salad and there's my meal

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Posted by FeliciaDA

We do a big Italian Christmas eve, but I despise seafood so its like a mini-fast for me

We do the baccala which is the codfish .. my grandmother (may she rest in peace ) used to make it but now my aunt or Mom does.. But they make it three different ways. I cannot even look at it!

We also have lobster, filet of sole, clams, spaghetti 'allege' (with anchovies, I'm sorry my Italian stinks so I'm not sure how to type it) , shrimp, baked clams, and sometimes scallops.

Blech to all of it! Just give me the bread basket and some salad and there's my meal

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yeah, my grandfather & mom hate it too, which is why we never do it. my uncles side does, so sometimes my grandmotehr goes to get her fix, though.
Farah, of the stuff you suggested, I stick with the shrimp ( coctail & fried, but I love shrimp), maybe only calamari in the sauce, not fried as well. And the baked calms. have some palinpasta too, in case they don't eat it. I personally hate calamri, but i eat most seafood.

ETA-- fried flounder, should be pretty universal. I think most people would eat that, if they eat fish at all.

We usually have fried eel + 6 other fishes
Sometimes calamari, scungili, mussles.....

We'll be in Alabama for Christmas this year so no fish for me - they've never even heard of the feast of the 7 fishes!

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Posted by Anniegrl

We'll be in Alabama for Christmas this year so no fish for me - they've never even heard of the feast of the 7 fishes!

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sad, isn't it

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Posted by tourist
Farah, of the stuff you suggested, I stick with the shrimp ( coctail & fried, but I love shrimp), maybe only calamari in the sauce, not fried as well. And the baked calms. have some palinpasta too, in case they don't eat it. I personally hate calamri, but i eat most seafood.

ETA-- fried flounder, should be pretty universal. I think most people would eat that, if they eat fish at all.

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Okay, here are my dilemmas

1. Seb LOVES fried calamari and has a running list of which restaurants throughout Manhattan make the best It's probably the reason why he's suggesting we do Christmas Eve my way!

2. Secondly, shrimp are just not the same here as they are at home - They're like a different breed or something, they're mealy-er and they usually have the heads on. so, I'm not sure if they can stand on their own for something like shrimp cocktail.

I guess I'll figure it out. We have to find a good place to get all of this though. SEb mentioned something about a fish market in town somewhere.

I just wanted to get some ideas of what other people eat...Thanks!!!

* Linguini with clam sauce is easy and universal.
* Baked clams also universal
* Fried Calamari

If you are starting them off slow or unsure of the fish they have in England those are good startes.

How about baked salmon or stuffed filet of sole or maybe grilled swordfish or tuna steaks marinated in lemon & garlic & oil.

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Posted by usuk2004

2. Secondly, shrimp are just not the same here as they are at home - They're like a different breed or something, they're mealy-er and they usually have the heads on. so, I'm not sure if they can stand on their own for something like shrimp cocktail.

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Shrimp with the head on - ewwwwie!!!! I don't like my food staring at me

Can you get good scallops?

I'm Irish-Catholic, so all we have for Christmas Eve is whiskey and cold, cold guilt.

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Posted by MonkeyLuv

I'm Irish-Catholic, so all we have for Christmas Eve is whiskey and cold, cold guilt.

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Not even a potato??

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Posted by usuk2004

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Posted by MonkeyLuv

I'm Irish-Catholic, so all we have for Christmas Eve is whiskey and cold, cold guilt.

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Not even a potato??

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the potato we save for Christmas Day!

MY Dh is Italian and we used to go to his uncles now we have done it 2 years running and we do

Fried Calamari
Codfish with stewed tomatoes & onions
Shrimp Cocktail
Fried Shrimp
Lobster tails
Baked Clams
Fried calarmi
Linguini with gravy
Fillet of Sole
Fried Cauliflower
steamed veges
Green Salad
Seafood Salad


And alot more stuff.

spaghetti with shrimp marinara
fried shrimp
fried filet of sole
baked scrod
and don't forget the vegies

This is my favorite holiday I CAN'T WAIT - I'M GETTING HUNGRY

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Posted by Anniegrl

I remember when my grandma was alive she'd make polpo, or baby octopus salad. BLECCCCHHHHHHHH!!!!

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bleeeeeeeech we still make that, {{insert gagging emoticon here}}

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Posted by Anniegrl

I remember when my grandma was alive she'd make polpo, or baby octopus salad. BLECCCCHHHHHHHH!!!!

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Amen sister!

My dad and his family are straight off the boat and all I can say is the house stinks Christmas Eve! Thankfully my mother is kind and makes turkey