An Italian Christmas Eve tradition is called Feast of the Seven Fishes (Festa dei Sette Pesci or La Vigilia) and is celebrated on December 24 around the world. The feast kicks off the holiday festivities with a huge dinner comprising seven courses and fish and seafood.This tradition stems from the Roman Catholic practice of abstaining from meat the day before religious holidays (now skipping meat is mostly reserved for Fridays in Lent). In those earlier days, Italians embraced refraining from meat and celebrated Christmas Eve by pulling out all the stops and incorporating fish into a large meal.
Cioppino was developed in the late 1800s by Italian immigrants who fished off Meiggs Wharf and lived in the North Beach neighbourhood of San Francisco, many from the port city of Genoa. When a fisherman came back empty-handed, they would walk around with a pot to the other fishermen asking them to chip in whatever they could. ‘Whatever’ ended up in the pot became their "cioppino". The fishermen that chipped in expected the same treatment if they came back empty-handed in the future. It later became a staple as Italian restaurants proliferated in San Francisco.
This is a ‘salad spin’ on the traditional Cioppino Stew that can will be a hit any time of the year. It takes less preparation time than the traditional fare, but make sure you allow marinating time. Serves 10
Cioppino was developed in the late 1800s by Italian immigrants who fished off Meiggs Wharf and lived in the North Beach neighbourhood of San Francisco, many from the port city of Genoa. When a fisherman came back empty-handed, they would walk around with a pot to the other fishermen asking them to chip in whatever they could. ‘Whatever’ ended up in the pot became their "cioppino". The fishermen that chipped in expected the same treatment if they came back empty-handed in the future. It later became a staple as Italian restaurants proliferated in San Francisco.
This is a ‘salad spin’ on the traditional Cioppino Stew that can will be a hit any time of the year. It takes less preparation time than the traditional fare, but make sure you allow marinating time. Serves 10
Cioppino salad
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INGREDIENTS:
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METHOD:
- In a large bowl, mix dressing, basil and, if desired, wine. Add shrimp and crab; toss gently to combine. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours.
- Add greens, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, onion, olives and eggs; toss gently to combine. If desired, sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
