All I Want for Christmas is a Little Italy
Dear Santa: This year for Christmas, I want an Italian boyfriend. Not so much because of some Under-the-Tuscan-Sun daydream of a tall, dark and handsome man with an accent by my side, but more so I can borrow his family next holiday season. What's more, Santa, I am going to do you a huge favor: you don’t even need to deliver him until about middle of this coming summer. I know that right now is your very busy season. I figure one less present to deliver on your busiest night (especially one that is tall and might prove a bit unwieldy to fit down the chimney with you) will be a bit of weight off your shoulders. So when you have some down time, let’s say around, July-ish, send Mr. Italy right on over.
See we don’t need to date for that long, just long enough for him to feel comfortable enough to invite me over for Christmas Eve with the family. And knowing a few Italian families already, I would say it doesn’t even need to be him who invites me. Give me one meeting with Mom and a conversation on her polenta over some glasses of grappa, and I’ll be as good as in.
Now, you might be wondering why I only want to use him (although I prefer “borrow”) for a holiday. Truthfully, it is because no one does Christmas Eve like the Italians. And being an American Mutt myself, one whose specialty is cooking eclectic quick meals, I just don’t think I could pull off the feast with the same authenticity and authority as a couple of Italian grandmothers with many days in the kitchen to prepare.
Christmas Eve is the big holiday meal for Italians. So big, in fact, it involves not one fish course, but seven! The reigning theory behind the dinner of seven fishes is Christian in origin. Although some people think it is tied to the Old Testament’s teaching of the world being made in seven days, it more likely has to do with the seven days of waiting in anticipation of Christ’s birth.
I do love a meal based on symbolism, but more than that, I think a quick cook, like myself, can appreciate the idea of fish the night before the Big Day. Chances are that, unless one really is Italian, one is probably still going to serve a big meal on Christmas day and maybe some sort of brunch spread in the morning. We have already labored over present shopping, wrapping, and decorating and are committed to preparing food for all as well. The beauty of fish is, no matter what the type, it almost always cooks quickly. So there is no need to stress over Christmas Eve, we will leave the hard labor up to the Italian grandmothers.
Now I wouldn’t need a boyfriend to fulfill my dream of seven Italian fishes in one meal, if finding a way to make seven different fishes weren’t such a daunting task to perform quickly. There are certainly many fish dishes that could be made in that time: steamed mussels and clams (15 minutes), grilled branzino (7 minutes), sautéed shrimp in wine (10 minutes), ordering in sushi (30 minutes for delivery, 0 minutes cooking). But 7 dishes in less than thirty would require some kitchen super power I just don’t have (hmmm… maybe that is what I’ll ask for next Christmas).
Even though I can’t think of a reasonable way to have a meal of seven fishes in less than 30 minutes on Christmas Eve, and since my Italian boyfriend won’t come till next summer, this year I will make a meal of perhaps one fish for my family. Then next year, I might take that one fish to my new boyfriend’s house for Christmas Eve as my contribution to my new Italian family’s spread. Thanks for your help, Santa, and oh, if he happens to be tall, dark and handsome with an accent, that wouldn’t hurt either.
Made with olive oil, fish stock or clam juice, butter, white wine, saffron, leek, fresh sage, arborio rice, tangerines, salt and pepper
Serves/Makes: 4
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups fish stock or clam juice
- 2 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 2 pinches saffron
- 1 medium leek, white part only
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 6 seedless tangerines
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter PLUS
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1/2 pound bay scallops, fresh or frozen and defrosted
Heat olive oil over a medium flame in a medium, heavy bottom pan. In a small saucepan, heat clam juice or fish stock plus 1 cup of water. In a medium, shallow saucepan, bring wine to a boil over high, reduce to medium and add saffron.
Meanwhile, cut leek horizontally down the length and clean. Cut each half into 1/4 inch slices. Add to oil.
Finely cut sage leaves crosswise and add to leeks. When leeks have begun to soften, add rice and stir until rice has absorbed all oil. Add 1 cup of fish stock to rice and stir to combine.
While you prepare scallops, stir rice often and add liquid 1/2 cup at a time when rice has absorbed the last addition.
Meanwhile, juice 3-4 tangerines to get about 1 cup of juice. Pass through a fine mesh strainer. Add juice to wine reduction along with 1 T butter and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium. Add scallops to tangerine-wine broth. Let simmer for about 3-4 minutes until just heated through.
Using a slotted spoon, remove scallops to a bowl. Combine tangerine-wine broth with fish stock and continue to add liquid to rice 1/2 cup at a time until rice is cooked to al dente. While continuing to cook rice, peel two remaining tangerines.
Separate the sections and remove as much of the pith as possible. When rice has reached desired doneness, add 1/2 cup of the remaining liquid, cooked scallops, tangerine sections, and 2 tsp. of butter. Stir to combine and cook for about two minutes until scallops are reheated. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
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