Seafood is the star of this Italian Christmas Eve tradition.
Some holidays are so intimately linked with certain foods that we can’t imagine one without the other. For Mark Estee, CEO of Reno’s Local Food Group, Christmas Eve has always meant oil fondue since he was a child. It was a special meal his family only ate on that day, and for him it was synonymous with Christmas — that is, until his freshman year of high school. A friend invited him over for Christmas Eve dinner, where Estee sat down to his first Feast of the Seven Fishes, prepared by the friend’s Italian grandmother. He was hooked.
The memory — and the food — stuck with him, and he was inspired to bring the Feast of the Seven Fishes with him from his hometown of Boston to the Reno-Tahoe area. As a diehard seafood fan, Estee loves that the meal features fish in every course. And as a chef, he enjoys the challenge of elevating seafood items that diners might otherwise overlook, such as anchovies and Ipswich clams. He describes them as “grandma cuts” — ingredients that were traditionally used but aren’t go-to dishes in fine dining.
Bringing Tradition Forward
The Feast of the Seven Fishes originated with the Catholic tradition of not eating meat on certain holy days. That tradition traveled with the millions of families who emigrated from Southern Italy at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Since then, it has grown into a multi-course celebration of seafood that’s widely observed by Italian-American families, especially on the East Coast. The feast doesn’t necessarily include a particular set of seafood or recipes, but it often features common favorites such as baccalà (salted cod), stuffed quahog (or hard) clams, and calamari.
Estee’s nostalgia for that long-ago Christmas Eve dinner and his own favorite family seafood recipes inspired him to offer a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner at the original Campo, a Reno restaurant he founded, and formerly owned, in 2011. The tradition didn’t gain traction there, but a few years later, when he offered it at Liberty Food & Wine Exchange, his Downtown Reno restaurant, it was a hit. Folks returned year after year and made the event part of their holiday tradition. When Estee opened Cucina Lupo in Carson City, with its focus on Italian food, the Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner was a natural fit there as well.
Casting a New Line
This year, Liberty and Lupo each will host its own version of the feast, both of which will be supplied by local seafood distributor Sierra Gold Seafood. At Liberty, executive chef Daniel Muller will take the helm. Muller grew up in Connecticut, enjoying the Feast of the Seven Fishes every Christmas Eve with family recipes. One of his favorite food memories is of sipping the juice from steamer clams with his grandfather. As a seafood aficionado, Muller is excited to create a menu dedicated to fish and shellfish, and to bring his own flavors and background to this special event.
As for Estee, he’s thrilled Muller wants to continue the tradition.
“Growing our group is really important to me,” Estee says. “With the next generation of culinary leaders coming up, I love to see a chef get his shot.”
The Feast of the Seven Fishes might be new to many in the Reno-Tahoe area. But the sense of festivity and food surrounding a holiday is something to which everyone can relate.
“This is for people who enjoy eating food your grandma passed down,” Estee says … and that’s even if the grandma referenced isn’t your own. “It’s a chance to celebrate, taste some really delicious, history-related foods, and relax for a night during the busy holiday times.”
Whether it’s your first time enjoying it or your 51st, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is sure to be a meal you remember.
RESOURCES
Cucina Lupo will host a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner from 5 p.m. – closing on Dec. 21, 22, and 23. Reservations are encouraged, but not required.
Liberty Food & Wine Exchange will host its Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 4 – 9 p.m.
Cucina Lupo
308 N. Curry St., Carson City • 775-461-0441 • Cucinalupo.com
Liberty Food & Wine Exchange
100 N. Sierra St., Reno • 775-336-1091 • Libertyfoodandwine.com
Cucina Lupo Stuffed Clams
(courtesy of Mark Estee, CEO, Local Food Group in Reno. Serves 6)
3 pounds medium whole quahog clams, washed, scrubbed, and drained (substitute any medium to large clam variety)
Juice of 3 lemons
1 cup white wine
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ cup onion, minced
½ cup celery, minced
½ cup Italian parsley, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 cups breadcrumbs
Fresh lemon wedges, for garnish
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add whole clams and garlic. Working quickly, shake pan and toss.
Add wine to deglaze and turn heat to medium. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, until clams open. Remove from heat and strain clams into colander, reserving pan liquid.
Return pan to stove over medium-high heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Then add onions and celery and sweat for 7 minutes.
Remove clams from shells and chop meat. Place empty shells on sheet pan. Add chopped clam meat to pan with onions and celery. Add juice of 3 lemons and reserved pan liquid. Add paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Add breadcrumbs and adjust seasoning if needed. Spoon stuffing into each half of the clam shells. (This may be prepared ahead of time.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake stuffed clam shells for 30 minutes. Finish under broiler until browned. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with fresh lemon wedges.
Baked Haddock with Lemon-Caper Sauce
(courtesy of Daniel Muller, executive chef, Liberty Food & Wine Exchange in Reno. Serves 4)
4 6- to 8-ounce haddock filets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 large lemons, sliced into rounds
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
4 tablespoons capers, drained
Juice of ½ large lemon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pat fish dry, cover in olive oil, then season with ½ teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
Cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Place sliced lemons on parchment paper and lay seasoned fish on lemons. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until fish filets are opaque and flaky.
While fish is cooking, combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer on low until shallots are soft and almost translucent.
Remove fish from oven and top with lemon-caper sauce.
