by Joseph Zavarella

Created on: December 11, 2008   Last Updated: February 10, 2009

Christmas Eve for us was an evening when immediate family gathered for the feast which consisted mainly of seafood dishes. No meat or fowl was allowed, pasta and vegetable side dishes were plentiful and desserts were usually served on a buffet for later if anyone still could eat. Imagine, if you will, seven separate entrees of fish or any kind of seafood including the following: Bacala, clams, eel, scungili and fish of varying sizes and shapes, anything goes as long as it can be called seafood or a non-meat dish. More recently we have focused attention on two or three different entrees with appetizers following the same restrictions noted above. I shall describe and give recipes to three items that have become favorites in our household.

MENU FOR CHRISTMAS EVE

Cocktails and Appetizers

Cheeses including Brie, Swiss, Cheddar

Pickled Herring in Cream Sauce

Soup

New England Clam Chowder

Entree

Filet of Sole Turbans with Crab-Meat Stuffing

Shrimp Scampi

Above served with pasta of any shape, but not long,

In a pesto and sun-dried tomatoes

Broccoli Florets in Butter Sauce

Salad with choice of dressing

Dessert

An assortment of home baked pastries and cookies

Served with choice of coffee or tea

A selection of red and white wines to be served with appetizers and dinner

After dinner drinks

The following recipe was handed down to us and it has become an annual favorite.

Sole or Flounder Turbans with Crabmeat stuffing

6 fillets

2 lb crabmeat fresh, frozen or canned

1 tbls minced onion

1 tbls minced celery

1 tbls minced parsley

6 tbls butter melted

cup cracker crumbs

1 egg

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Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit

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Season fish with salt and pepper

Butter a muffin pan with at least six cups

Coil fish inside each of the muffin forms

Six ounce custard ramekins can be substituted

If necessary trim fish fillet to make it even

Drain crabmeat, remove fibers and flake

Saute onions, celery and parsley in tbls butter until tender

Remove from heat and add crumbs, crabmeat, and egg

Mix well and season to taste

Spoon mixture into center of fish in each of the forms and brush

With rest of butter

Bake for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested

Remove fillets carefully with 2 spoons and plate them

Serve with lemon wedges

Hint, any leftover crabmeat stuffing can be formed into crab cakes and served with dinner. A good reason to intentionally make more than enough.

This recipe for shrimp scampi is always a favorite.

Serves 6

3 tbls olive oil

3 pounds extra-large shrimp

4 tbls butter

7 cloves

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