This was another fish at our Seven Fishes Christmas Eve dinner.

1. Combine the butter and oil in a saucepan and add the garlic. Cook over the lowest heat for 15 minutes without letting the mixture boil.

2. Chop the anchovies and add to the oil. Stir until the anchovies dissolve. Do not let the sauce boil or brown. Season with salt if needed. Keep hot over a candle or spirit lamp.

3. Prepare an assortment of raw vegetables, like cucumber, cauliflowerettes, strips of green pepper, celery, carrots and endive. Serve separately for dipping.

Posted by Angela under Appetizers, Christmas foods, Fish

We made this for our Christmas Eve Seven Fishes dinner. Just pretend that shrimp and lobster are fish. We did not use live lobster but found a container of frozen lobster that tasted quite good cooked. We didn’t make croutons but toasted slices of baguette and spread them with roasted garlic. This recipe is from Gourmet.

For croutons
12 to 16 (1/2-inch-thick) baguette slices
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved

For soup
1 (1- to 1 1/4 -lb) live lobster
2 large tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb boiling potatoes
1/3 cup finely chopped fennel fronds (sometimes called anise)
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
9 cups fish stock
3 pounds white fish fillets (such as monkfish, turbot, red snapper, striped bass, porgy, grouper, and/or cod), cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound cockles or small hard-shelled clams, scrubbed
1/2 pound cultivated mussels, scrubbed and any beards removed
1/2 pound large shrimp in shells
Rouille: Recipe Below

Make croutons:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F.

Arrange bread slices in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and brush both sides with oil. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes. Rub 1 side of each toast with a cut side of garlic.

Make soup:
Plunge lobster headfirst into a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling water, then cook, covered, 2 minutes from time lobster enters water. Transfer lobster with tongs to a colander and let stand until cool enough to handle. Discard hot water in pot. Put lobster in a shallow baking pan. Twist off claws with knuckles from body, then crack claws with a mallet or rolling pin and separate claws from knuckles. Halve body and tail lengthwise through shell with kitchen shears, then cut crosswise through shell into 2-inch pieces. Reserve lobster juices that accumulate in baking pan.

Cook tomatoes, onion, and garlic in oil in cleaned 6- to 8-quart pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Stir potatoes into tomatoes with fennel fronds, bay leaf, saffron, sea salt, and pepper. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add thicker pieces of fish and cockles to soup and simmer, covered, 2 minutes. Stir in mussels, shrimp, lobster, including juices, and remaining fish and simmer, covered, until they are just cooked through and mussels open wide, about 5 minutes.

Stir 3 tablespoons broth from soup into rouille until blended.

Arrange 2 croutons in each of 6 to 8 deep soup bowls. Carefully transfer fish and shellfish from soup to croutons with a slotted spoon, then ladle some broth with vegetables over seafood.

Top each serving with 1 teaspoon rouille and serve remainder on the side.

Rouille:

Yield: Makes about 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Pour water over bread crumbs in a bowl. Mash garlic to a paste with sea salt and cayenne using a mortar and pestle. Add moistened bread crumbs and mash into garlic paste.

Add oil in a slow stream, mashing and stirring vigorously with pestle until combined well.

Posted by Angela under Christmas foods, Dinner, Fish, Soups

• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1 baked 8″ or 9″ pie shell

Stir flour and sugar in top of double boiler.  Add boiling water.  When smooth add chocolate and stir micture over hot water until chocolate melts.  Remove from fire, add yolks beaten with 1 Tbsp water.  Then add butter.  Cook in double boiler 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cool and add vanilla.  Place in baked  pie shell.  Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or with meringue.

Posted by Carol under Dessert, Oma's favorites

• 1 1/2 cup pumpkin**
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cream

• 1 9″ unbaked pie shell

** You can also use butternut squash. Cut in half, take out the seeds, and bake face down at 350 for an hour.

Mix ingredients and pour into pie shell.  Bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center of pie comes out clean.

Posted by Carol under Dessert, Oma's favorites

• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 oz. (1 cup) semi-sweet chips

Beat egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks.  Gradually beat in sugar until mixture is very stiff and glossy.  Fold in chips.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet lined with brown paper or foil.  Bake at 300 degrees, on top rack of oven for 25 minutes (or a little less).

Posted by Carol under Cookies, Oma's favorites

Serves 4 to 6 as a first course

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 by 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends and cut on bias into 1-inch pieces
• table salt and ground black pepper
• 1 medium shallot, sliced thin (about 1/4 cup)
• 4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 4 ounces goat cheese

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until beginning to smoke; add red pepper and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes, stirring only once after 1 minute. Add asparagus, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook until asparagus is browned and almost tender, about 2 minutes, stirring only once after 1 minute. Stir in shallot and cook until softened and asparagus is tender-crisp, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Transfer to large plate and cool 5 minutes.2. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, garlic, 1/4-teaspoon salt, and 1/8-teaspoon pepper in medium bowl until combined. In large bowl, toss spinach with 2 tablespoons dressing and divide among salad plates. Toss asparagus mixture with remaining dressing and place a portion over spinach; divide goat cheese among salads and serve.

Posted by Carla under Salad