Name: Feast of the Seven Fishes Pie
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 6-8 Servings
Ingredients: For the Filling; 1 pound mild fish filets, cut into 1-inch chunks; ½ pound peeled and deveined shrimp; ½ pound large sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry; 1 cup diced lobster meat (optional); 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided; 1½ cups cleaned, halved and thinly sliced leeks (about 1 large or 2 medium); 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice; 2 garlic cloves, minced; ⅓ cup all-purpose flour; ½ cup vermouth or white wine; 1¼ cups whole milk; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 cup frozen peas, thawed; 2 teaspoons drained and rinsed capers; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper; 2 tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley; 1 large egg; 1 tablespoon cream; 1 to 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed; Crème Fraîche; Salmon, whitefish, or trout caviar

Mains

Feast of the Seven Fishes Pie

Author: Mary DiSomma

This traditional Italian Christmas recipe checks off all the boxes! It's not exactly what my grandma made, but whenever I make this pie, I am flooded with all those happy memories. I hope this recipe helps you make some beautiful memories with your family too.

My mother and my aunts took every meal seriously, but this traditional feast for the entire extended family was on a whole other level. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it took them a week to prepare for this meal. For that whole week leading up to Christmas Eve, they would buy and clean the seven fishes—enough to feed the whole extended family. Oh, the food was so good… and the long nights enjoying each other’s company were so much fun! I miss those huge Christmases with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and Grandma Vivardo. Grandmas have a magical way of holding everyone together. Eventually, Grandma Vivardo passed away, and the family just kept getting bigger… and we all split it off into our own smaller groups. That made me responsible for the Christmas Eve feast.

No, don't get me wrong, I love cooking. But preparing a huge feast with seven separate fish dishes is a pretty ambitious task. I decided to honor the tradition and make it my own by creating this recipe for Feast of the Seven Fishes Pie. It checks off all the boxes without overwhelming me in the kitchen! It's not exactly what my grandma made, but whenever I make this pie, I am flooded with all those happy memories. I hope this recipe helps you make some beautiful memories with your family too.

Crème Fraîche

Crème fraîche is a thickened soured cream. Although you can find it at specialty markets, it’s easy to make at home. You just need to remember to make it ahead – the mixture needs to sit at room temperature for 12 hours.

Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes 5 min
Cook Time: 0 minutes0 min
Total Time: 5 minutes 5 min

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Instructions

Combine the buttermilk and cream in a non-reactive (not metal) container. I usually use a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 12 hours, The mixture will thicken as it sits. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to two weeks

Tips

My mother and my aunts took every meal seriously, but this traditional feast for the entire extended family was on a-whole-nother level. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it took them a week to prepare for this meal. For that whole week leading up to Christmas Eve, they would buy and clean the seven fishes—enough to feed the whole extended family. Oh, the food was so good… and the long nights enjoying each other’s company were so much fun!

I miss those huge Christmases with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and Grandma Vivardo. Grandmas have a magical way of holding everyone together. Eventually, Grandma Vivardo passed away, and the family just kept getting bigger… and we all split it off into our own smaller groups. That made me responsible for the Christmas Eve feast.

No, don't get me wrong, I love cooking. But preparing a huge feast with seven separate fish dishes is a pretty ambitious task. Since it's just me, Billy, and the kids, I decided to honor the tradition and make it my own by creating a Feast of the Seven Fishes Pie recipe. It checks off all the boxes without overwhelming me in the kitchen! It's not exactly what my grandma made, but whenever I make this pie, I am flooded with all those happy memories. I hope this recipe helps you make some beautiful memories with your family too.

Known as La Vigilia in Italy, the Feast of the Seven Fishes refers to an incredible meal served on Christmas Eve. This particular feast is specific to southern Italy. The traditional table is decked out with rich seafood dishes like spaghetti with clams, baccala (salt cod), fried shrimp, lobster salad, shrimp scampi, fried eel, shrimp, and smelt… and sides like fresh green salad, pickles, and olives.

Most of the Italians who immigrated to the United States came from southern Italy, and this is one of the traditions that they brought with them. Where the number seven came from in the “festa dei sette pesci,” however, is a controversial matter. Some believe it refers to the seven days in the last week of advent, some that it references the seven sacraments, and others still that it's a shout out to the seven deadly sins. I personally have no idea, I am just grateful for the food!

If you look at my photos of this recipe, you’ll see that I decorate my pie with scales… just to make the fish theme a little bit more festive! Making “fish scales” out of your extra puff pastry is easy! Just use a 1-inch round cookie cutter and make lots of small puff pastry rounds. Then place them in a layering effect over the top layer of puff pastry. Remember to brush the top with the egg wash when you’re all done so it gets nice and brown during baking.

What I love most about this meal is that it stands alone so well—it’s filling and satisfying. You can serve sides if you like, but it really is incredible all on its own. If you do opt for some side dishes, maybe try out a nice charcuterie board, some fresh antipasto, or a nice, healthy side like my Black-eyed Pea Salad recipe.

My favorite garnishes for this dish are crème fraiche and caviar… and yes, you can make your own. Click through to the recipe below to learn how to make your own crème fraîche from scratch.

Extra Bits

If you loved this recipe, check out my new cookbook, My Life in Pies: Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired by Family and Friends! You’ll discover more savory, meal-worthy pies like this one—as well as dozens of classic and creative desserts. Pie can totally be a meal. Click below if you agree.

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