Italian Christmas Dinner |
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| Christmas is a time to rejoice and feast and the Italians take that to heart. The Italians have always been renowned for their gastronomical preferences all over the world. Their food is usually simple but entirely likeable, and at Christmas, they do not stop short of a slap up Christmas feast. On La Vigilia, that’s Italian for Christmas Eve, they do not eat any meat, and fish dominates the meal. It’s a tradition followed all over Italy, rather religiously. |
Of course every region has it’s own traditions and customs that it follows in regards to the Christmas Eve dinner but the gist is the same.
The minimum number of courses that they must have at the Christmas dinner is seven but in some parts it extends to nine. There are various theories to explain the number of courses, there are some people who say that 7 courses for 7 days in a week, however, Italians are stern followers of Cenna della Vigilia, which is the period of waiting for Christ’s miraculous birth. In keeping with that the seven courses represent the seven sacraments whereas 9 courses are symbolic for the Trinity multiplied by 3. The decision of course varies from family to family and most families do not go through the trouble of making 7 courses, though they still follow the only fish rule for the meal.
One of the most delectable delicacies of the Christmas Eve Dinner in Italy is the eel. Strange as it may sound, it is a must have for this special dinner. Now should you intend to make an Italian Christmas dinner at home, remember there are a few dishes you can make well in advance such as the Seafood salad, and the pasta with sardines. In fact these dishes are said to improve in flavor if they are kept refrigerated over night. You can reheat the pasta when you are ready to serve it and the salad is served cold, as it is. Here are some recipes, you will find useful.
Shrimp and Orange Salad (serves 4)
Ingredients-:
16 large peeled shrimp
4 peeled, seeded, and chopped oranges.
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper
6 cups mixed greens
Directions-:
Boil the shrimp until it is pink.
Drain and rinse with cold water and then refrigerate it for an hour.
Mix vinegar, oil, and chopped parsley in a large bowl.
Mix shrimp and oranges, salt and pepper to taste.
Divide greens among individual plates and top with shrimp mixture
Pasta With Sardines (Serves 4)
Ingredients-:
2 cups leaf tops from fennel
½ cup olive oil
2 tbsp. chopped onion
4 anchovy fillets
1/3 cup pignoli nuts
1 tbsp. currants
1-1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
¼ tsp. saffron threads, dissolved in 1 cup water
Salt and pepper
3 (3-3/4 oz.) cans sardines in olive oil, drained
Direction-:
Boil Fennel leaves for 10 minutes
Turn off the heat and remove the leaves but do not drain the water.
Squeeze the water out of the greens and chop.
In another saucepan, put the olive oil, onion, and anchovies.
Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes.
Add the fennel and cook 5 more minutes.
Add the nuts, currants, tomato paste, and the saffron water.
Add Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook until the water has completely evaporated.
Add the sardines, stir them in, and remove from the heat.
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