24 Feast of the Seven Fishes Recipes for a Christmas Eve Celebration Curate your holiday spread with these options for fish dip, seafood salad, seafood stew, seafood pasta, and main courses. By Kim Wehby Kim Wehby Kim Wehby is a copy editor with over a decade of experience in the food and beverage space, including a senior editorial role at People Inc. Food Studios. She's edited and developed content for Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Eating Well. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 9, 2025 Add Us On Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless To celebrate an Italian-American Feast of the Seven Fishes Christmas Eve, you can choose from an abundance of seafood dishes. Our collection features some traditional recipes and some versions that take on the chef's special touch. Fry up a batch of calamari, try your hand at tomato-braised baccalà, and curate a menu featuring shellfish, squid, swordfish, and sea bass. Enjoy our finest seafood recipes in the form of starters, salads, stews, spaghetti, and whole fish centerpieces. Love these recipes? Join MyRecipes to save them all with one click. It’s easy, convenient, and free! 01 of 24 Neoclassic Seafood Salad Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Alfred Portale's version of Frutti di Mare features ingredients you'll find in seafood salads in the deli cases of Little Italy. The dish has evolved since becoming an icon of New York's Gotham Bar & Grill in the late 1980s, and the plating is worthy of a special occasion. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 24 Fancy Clam Dip Justin Walker Award-winning journalist Betsy Andrews brings us this classic white clam dip featuring hot sauce and fresh dill to cut through the richness and add a touch of vibrant color. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 24 Clams Casino Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Catherine Jessee's version of this classic party starter packs buttery flavor with sweet bell peppers, crunchy panko, crispy bacon, and a bright squeeze of lemon juice. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 24 Insalata di Frutti di Mare (Italian Seafood Salad) Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Craig Ruff uses shrimp, squid, and bay scallops in this “fruits of the sea salad” inspired by Italy. The seafood is tossed with traditional antipasto vegetables and a simple red wine vinegar vinaigrette. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 24 Salted Anchovies, Salsa Verde, Bread, Butter Abby Hocking Chef Missy Robbins found inspiration for this dish in Italy. The best part? It's ready in just over half an hour, so it makes for an approachable appetizer. Get the Recipe 06 of 24 30-Minute Spaghetti with Mussels Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen In this lemony pasta dish from Andrea and Daniele Zazzeri, fresh mint and white wine help lift the briny flavors of mussels. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 24 Cioppino (Seafood Stew) Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Bobby Flay's version of the famous Italian-American seafood stew from Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco features large pieces (in abundance) of fresh shrimp, snapper, and littleneck clams. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 24 Insalata di Pesce Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen In this recipe from Mary-Frances Heck, former senior food editor at Food & Wine, scallops, shrimps, and firm fish are quickly blanched then tossed with a bright herb- and lemon-infused olive oil. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 24 Extra-Crunchy Calamari Greg Dupree Buttermilk-soaked squid are coated with a cornmeal batter to make perfectly crunchy calamari. Old Bay seasoning brings classic seaside flavors. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 24 Smoked Salmon Dip Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell This creamy seafood dip from recipe developer and tester Jasmine Smith features cold-smoked salmon. Lemon, chives, and dill add brightness to the dip, while a mixture of mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream cheese creates a lusciously smooth consistency. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 24 Cioppino with Fennel and Saffron Photo by Andrew Bui / Food Styling by Max Rappaport In this absolutely striking seafood stew, a deeply flavored broth is made from clam juice, chiles, tomatoes, saffron, and fennel in three forms. Crab, shrimp, white fish, and clams simmer in the broth until just cooked. Use seasonal Dungeness crab if you can find it. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 24 Whole Fish Drizzled with Hot Ginger-Scallion Oil Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Impart flavor into whole snapper, carp, or sea bass with light soy sauce for this celebratory centerpiece. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 24 Lobster Risotto Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Recipe developer Anna Theoktisto brings us this golden-hued risotto with generous pieces of lobster. Saffron tints the risotto and imparts a lovely floral note to the dish. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 24 Fregula cun Cocciula (Sardinian Fregola with Clams) Photo by Cedric Angeles / Prop Styling by Stephanie Bohn This gourmet dish from March restaurant in Houston can be prepared in less than an hour. Sweet, saline, steamed clams and chewy fregola make a delightful pairing in a fennel- and lemon-infused tomato broth. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 24 Monkfish Piccata Greg DuPree This recipe comes to us from chef Tiffani Faison. Sweet, firm-fleshed monkfish is served with a bright, punchy sauce featuring lemons and white miso. This rich dish has a bold flavor and a pleasing meatiness. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 24 Tomato-Braised Baccalà with Olives and Polenta Justin Walker In this recipe from Rebacca Wilcomb, a bold cod-infused tomato sauce is contrasted by a fluffy bed of tender, mascarpone-enriched polenta. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 24 Venetian Shrimp with Polenta Victor Protasio Food writer and recipe developer David McCann brings us this Venitian-inspired shrimp dish. Lemon, butter, and parsley-kissed tender shrimp rest atop a warm bed of soft polenta. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 24 Herb-Roasted Trout with Buttery Almonds Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Sprigs of rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage release essential oils during roasting for this 40-minute whole trout recipe that's finished with a little crunch. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 24 Grilled Whole Snapper Cara Cormack Stuff whole red snapper with rosemary sprigs for this half-hour main course. Get the Recipe Save 20 of 24 Italian Seafood Stew John Kernick This potent stew from James Beard Award-winning chef Marco Canora features ultra-tender calamari, mussels, clams, shrimp, and striped bass in a flavorful calamari-clam tomato broth. Get the Recipe Save 21 of 24 Sea Bass with Sicilian Cherry Tomato Sauce Abby Hocking Extra Virgin hosts Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos bring us their version of classic Southern Italian puttanesca. Their sauce is made with fresh tomatoes, and they feature wild sea bass, though many other oily fish will work. Get the Recipe Save 22 of 24 Swordfish Sicilian-Style Greg DuPree This lemon- and oregano-dressed Sicilian swordfish recipe from the late cookbook author Marcella Hazan can be prepared in a swift 20 minutes. Get the Recipe Save 23 of 24 Spaghetti with Mussels, Clams, and Shrimp Rick Poon Pack simple pasta with succulent shrimp and briny mussels and clams for a seafood-lover's spaghetti. Get the Recipe Save 24 of 24 Roasted Sardines with Olives, Capers, and Parsley John Kernick In this sardine-featured main, San Francisco-based chef Chris Cosentino pan-fries the small fish with olives, capers, lemon, parsley, and chiles for bright, punchy flavor. A side salad of baby arugula and crunchy artichokes and sunchokes completes the entree. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Holidays & Occasions Christmas Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit