How To Cook A Traditional Italian Christmas Eve Dinner

The feast of the seven fishes is a well known Italian custom and a few recipes is all you need to know how to cook a traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner. The tradition itself is a southern Italian tradition and adheres to the Catholic Church’s prohibition of meat on Christmas Eve. What fish you choose to buy depends on your preference, though historically it was dictated by what was available at that time of year.

You’ll need seven dishes in total, each from a different type of underwater animal, but here’s a delicious, traditional anchovy dish to get you started.

• 8 anchovy fillets, packed in salt
• 1⁄ 2 cup milk
• 2 pounds broccoli
• 1⁄ 3 cup olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1⁄ 3 cup flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
• 3 ounces sharp provolone
• 1⁄ 2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped
• 1⁄ 2 cup red wine
• Salt and pepper

1. Prep anchovies. Soak all eight the anchovy fillets in a bowl of milk for half an hour. Drain and rinse.
2. Prep veggies. Chop into florets and slice the most tender parts of the stem thinly. Cut the onion into thin slices.
3. Start cooking. In a soup pot or a deep skillet, sauté broccoli and onions in olive oil for eight minutes. Add your parsley and then the cheese, olives and wine. Put a lid on the pot and let simmer for 40 minutes or until there is no liquid left. Stir occasionally.
4. Season and serve. Use salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.