Christmas Eve Traditional Dinner at Our Home

According to family tradition, on Christmas Eve, our dinner includes “lean” dishes. In fact, the main ingredients are fish and vegetables, foods rich in vitamins and minerals, in addition to being lightweight and good for you. The only exception are those fried desserts (scrippelle, caggionetti) , that absolutely one cannot do without.

Here is the menu we enjoy with family at home, awaiting the midnight arrival of Christmas.
Buon Appetito!

Pasta with Clams - (Linguini con vongole)

Fried Fish -(Pesce fritto)

Stuffed Squid (Calamari ripieni)

Broccoli di Rape

Stuffed Baby Artichokes - (Carciofi ripieni ) (See below for recipe)

Stuffed Baby Artichokes
All photo Copyright - ©2010 - La Casa e Il Giardino

I love baby artichokes because with just a little trimming you can eat the whole thing. Unlike fully mature artichokes, baby artichokes haven’t developed the fuzzy portion of the choke in the center. Baby artichokes are a seasonal size and availability does vary throughout the year, but the month of May is the peak volume month for this size artichoke.

Ingredients

9 or 10 baby artichokes
1/2 cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons for sauteing artichokes
2 cups of water
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
Sprig of parsley
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon red pepper conserve or tomato paste

Stuffing
2 cups day-old bread crumbs
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Start by rinsing and brushing off the baby artichokes under cold water.



Then, snap off the outer layer of petals of the baby artichoke until you reach the pale, yellow-green layer of petals. With a sharp kitchen knife, trim off the stem and remove the rest of the dark green stem that can cause a bitter taste if not removed.  Cut about one half inch off the top of the baby artichoke.  Place artichokes in water with some lemon juice to prevent them from darkening.

Prepare stuffing by combining all ingredients and mix well. 
Drain artichokes and stuff them.



Take a small skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Briefly saute' artichokes face down until the stuffing gets golden, and remove.

In a large pot, add 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic, salt, black pepper, teaspoon of hot pepper flakes (optional), and 1 tablespoon of pepper conserve (alternate tomato paste).  Bring ingredients to a boil, add the stuffed artichokes, cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Taste for tenderness of outer leaves. 

Stuffed artichokes

Traditional Christmas desserts

Caggionetti

CARDONE - Another Christmas Tradition

In a previous post, I wrote how cardone is part of our Christmas feast.  The first course on Christmas Day was, and still is, a traditional chicken soup (brodo di gallina) with little meatballs, cardoons (cardone) and egg dumplings.  My relatives in Australia tell me that their parents insisted on having brodo on Christmas day even though it was 90 degrees in the shade.  Be!  Tradizione e' tradizione.  (Well!  Tradition is tradition.)



Cardone is cousin to the artichoke and considered a delicacy by the Italians.  It's so unique and flavorful that it makes a great side dish any day of the week. 
A cardone side dish I love is:

Cardone Cacio e Ove (Cardoons with cheese and eggs)

Cardone Cace e Ove
All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

Ingredients
2 lb. of cardone
1 cup of diced tomatoes (or canned)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Black pepper
2 medium eggs
1/2 cup of grated pecorino cheese

Procedure:
Rinse the stalks well. Trim the ends and remove strings from the big stalks, just as you would with celery.  Discard any discolored, outer stalks. Remove any of the small leaves that run up the center of the stalks. Slice crosswise into 1- to 2-inch lengths.

Because cardone can have a slightly bitter aftertaste, it is recommended you soak it in salted water and the juice of one lemon for an hour or so before cooking.








After trimmed and soaked, boil cardone for 30 minutes or until tender.

In a pan, add the olive oil and garlic. Cook garlic briefly, and add the tomatoes.  Simmer gently for 15 minutes and add boiled cardone.  Continue to simmer gently for 2o to 30 minutes.

Beat the eggs and cheese.  Add the egg mixture to the cardone.  Do not mix.   Cover and cook for another 10 minutes until the cheese mixture resembles dumplings.  Uncover, break the egg mixture gently with a fork. 


Let it rest for a few minutes and serve.

CHRISTMAS EVE MUST-HAVES - Capitone and Baccala'

At our home, besides other traditional dishes, it’s not Christmas Eve without capitone (eel) and baccalà.  Capitone is for the diehards and fried baccalà for the younger generation.  They refer to the capitone as “gross” and “slimy”.  Did you know that capitone is a female eel so named because its head is bigger than the male ?  The name derives from the Latin “capitonem” which means “with a big head”.



Cut Capitone

Capitone in Salsa di Pomodoro

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. capitone (eel)

3 garlic cloves

1 peperoncino or hot pepper

1 cup of tomato salsa

1 teaspoon of paprika

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste 

Tradition

On December 23, I go to my Italian fish monger and, as tradition wants, I bring the eel home alive.  I place it in a large plastic container where it awaits its fatal hour.  In my basement kitchen, I grasp the eel by placing one hand on its neck and the other on the tail as my husband performs the decapitation by one blow on the neck with a cleaver.  I immediately throw away the head and proceed gutting and quickly scrubbing it.  At this point, one may choose to remove the skin.  I leave the skin on and cut it into pieces.

Capitone in Salsa di Pomodoro
All photos - Copyright - ©2011 - La Casa e Il Giardino – picasaweb

As described above, clean, dry and cut the eel into pieces .  In a casserole, add oil, tomato salsa, minced garlic and paprika.  Bring to a boil and then add the eel and 1 cup of water.  Let it evaporate and add the peperoncino, salt and pepper.  Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes.  Let it rest before serving.

Capitone Arrosto

Capitone arrosto

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. eel

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

4 or 5 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 lemons, zest only

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
• Rub the capitone pieces with the olive oil and minced garlic and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with the lemon zest, salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Add the bay leaves and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes until done, turning once during the cooking process.
• It is very fat and will roast in its own fat

Baccala' Arrosto

Baccala' arrosto

I just love the smell of dry peperoncini burning over the flame of a burner.

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